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CHARLES COOTE (?) MEREDITH OF REARYMORE PARISH, QUEEN’S COUNTY, IRELAND
&
HIS DESCENDANTS & SOME ANCESTORS
prepared by P.M. K.
public version 17/12/14 26 pages
Contents
- Introduction
- Summary chart of the earlier known generations
- Charles Coote ? Meredith and his descendants
- Addenda
# 1: Some ancestors of Charles
# 2: Charles's siblings - & some (?) of their children
# 3: Land divisions & some places
- Footnotes
- Sources
GUIDE TO SYMBOLS AND CONVENTIONS EMPLOYED
- © indicates that I have a copy (either paper or computer) of the substantiating document.
- In the present document, text in ordinary type comes from the documents prepared by
Nancy M. Clark (see below for her contribution). Text in italics is by me or from
information contributed by others.
- Depending on the context, text in red identifies uncertainty, holes in the proof or a likely,
though not proven, assertion.
- Sources are identified by parenthesized initials and a list of the institutional and web
sources appear at the end of this text. The list of names of living family members has been
removed from this version though members of our Meredith Group will be able to identify
many of them from group’s web site.
- The day/month/year dating convention is used, no matter what the source. In England,
from the end of the twelfth century until Dec 31, 1751, the New Year began on March 25.
Dates between January 1st and March 24th were therefore at the end of the year rather
than the beginning.
- O.T.P. = of this parish.
- do. = ditto
- the Arabic numeral appearing before a name records the generation, starting with
Charles Coote Meredith as 1.
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INTRODUCTION
This pedigree focuses on my ancestor Charles Coote Meredith (born abt. 1770) and his descendants.
My direct line is traced by the use of bold face.
Addendum 1 ventures beyond Charles to earlier ancestors. Rice Meredith, the first of ‘my’ line to have
been found in Queen’s County, Ireland, died there in 1732. (The historic Queen’s County, situated in the
province of Leinster, was renamed Laois in 1921). (1)
Charles was born in 1770 or ’71, presumably at his father's house, Reary Valley in Rearymore Parish,
Queen's County. Rearymore is about 45 miles WSW of Dublin, the city to which he had moved several
years before his death in 1852.
Charles married three times (Frances Warburton, Katharine Mann, Lucy Wyly). Many of his
descendants have been identified. My direct ancestor was his daughter Kate (b. 1830) who emigrated
from Ireland to North America (Upper Canada) in 1849 or 1850.
The starting point for this pedigree was a few pages of rough pedigree notes prepared by Nancy
Meredith Clark, of Ontario, (NMC) (2)
© in the 1930s, copies of which were passed on to me by a
cousin of my mother.
The first version of my text was dated 6/2/02 and over the past few years the text has been amplified by
new research and contributions from others. This version includes Addenda, Footnotes and Sources. It
includes some of Charles’s ancestors and collaterals.
My hope is that this record should eventually be as complete as possible until about 1900 with regard
to the ancestors and direct descendants of Charles, as well as at least identifying the siblings of such
descendants and ancestors. When it comes to those lines descending from such siblings and of other
related Merediths, I have sometimes included what has come to hand without, however, undertaking
myself much research. A considerable amount of information regarding collaterals to Charles’ line is
available from others in our Meredith group.
For greater BMD detail on the Canadian period of our Merediths, see the considerable data-base
developed by S.H.. She also runs MerArchives which, along with the impressive site run by K.W. (a
multitude of records as well as his detailed charts) are the most inclusive sources of information on Irish
Merediths. For more recent Meredith generations in their respective countries see B.J.W. (USA) and L.
J. (Australia) and K. W. and P. M. (England, both). For frequently updated charts (including ‘Reary
Merediths’) and for information about the very early period of the family, including informed speculation
concerning the 17th
century and before, see principally K. W. For a full exposition of that part of the
Rearymore Meredith line that goes through Charles Coote Meredith’s uncle Matthew (d. 1793), see the
thorough pedigree by E. M.
There are several lines of Meredith in Ireland, at least one of which was established there by the end of
the 16th
century. It is possible that some of them stem from one of several Meredith families from Wales,
though a Welsh connection has not yet been proven in the case of ‘our’ Merediths. Recent DNA research
does, however, establish that two branches from Queen’s Co. (one each from the parishes of Rerymore
and Clonenagh) and one of Dublin/Wicklow share a common ancestor. Hence, we now know that the
Charles Meredith of Dublin (Blackrock) whom I met in Dublin in 2000 & 2001 is part of the
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Dublin/Wicklow line; it was Rice W. Meredith, Charles’ great grandfather, who commissioned Betham to
do the (imperfect) Meredith tree, a copy of which I saw at the National Archives, Dublin. (Charles died
in Oct. 9, 2013, aged 80. He was a solicitor and an accomplished musician, a close friend of Gerry
Mulligan).
These various origins and connections are shown in the chart, “Meredith branches” ©, prepared by
K.W.
Information about the DNA project may be found on the Meredith family web site. "Research has identified seven distinct pre-1800 Meredith family groupings, two each based in or around
the counties of Dublin and Queen's and one for each of Wicklow, Sligo, Kerry, Carlow and Down. Several
of these would appear to be the result of separate emigration events from different parts of Wales. The
evidence to date indicates that it is only the Wicklow and the two Queen's County groups (viz. those of
Reary and Clonenagh) that might be connected, post-emigration. Their possible common ancestor is Rice
Meredith, whose name first appears in 17th century records for Co. Wicklow (Money Rolls 1669), and the
unusual name Rice recurs in future generations of all three groups in Ireland." (KW).
Information is available for some of the other Irish Meredith family groupings, including two recent
books about the Sligo clan:
- Lex Johnson, “Time and Place: The Merediths of County Sligo” (2008)
- Michael Faul, “From the West; the Merediths of County Sligo” (2012 & 2014)
As for the sometimes suggested connection between the Dublin/Wicklow Co. Merediths and John, brother
of Bishop Richard, Lex Johnson’s book demurs and indeed there is at present no evidence of such.
*************************
The counties of King’s (now Offaly) and Queen’s (now Laois), in the Province of Leinster,* were the first
to be planted (i.e. settled) by the Tudors, as early as 1556, but we as yet have no indication that our
Merediths were in Ireland that early. (It may someday turn out that the Rice Meredith mentioned in the
Hearth Money Rolls for Arklow, County Wicklow, in 1669, is a direct ancestor – see notes by KW).
* see Addendum 3 for a description of Ireland’s administrative divisions.
The civil registration of Protestant marriages began in 1845. Until the introduction of the government
registration of births and deaths in 1864, such records were kept at the parish level. The large part of
Ireland’s BMD records was lost in the Four Courts fire of 1922, a great number of which had been
centralized there by law. Some back-up records survived for many Church of Ireland (Anglican) parishes
but many fewer for Roman Catholic parishes. Given the incomplete BMD records, a variety of other
sources assumes even greater importance than usual; wills, land and tax records, deeds, court records,
newspapers etc.
Our ancestor Charles, his parents and his children were all Church of Ireland, though their farm hands
and tenants were probably Roman Catholic as, indeed, was the bulk of the local population. I presume
our family was no different from most Anglicans in Ireland in assuming an attitude of superiority and
entitlement vis à vis the Catholics. Indeed, there was a court case in 1838 © involving two of ‘our’
Meredith brothers (Rice and William) which dealt with the killing of a Catholic during an election
campaign. The charged brother was acquitted by an all Protestant jury. On the other hand, some of our
Merediths married Catholics, in most of which cases they ended up in North America.
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SUMMARY PEDIGREE OF THE EARLY GENERATIONS
RICE (a)
(d.1732) = ELIZABETH 4 known children
(Rice possibly fathered by a Rice Meredith of Wicklow)
↓
THOMAS
(a) (d. 1761) = ? 8 known children, incl. Rice (below) & Matthew (= L. Calcutt)
(for Matthew, see pedigree by Ellen Meredith)
↓
RICE
(a) (d. 1801 or 1817) = MARY HORNBY (MLB 1759) 4 known children
______________________________________________________________
│ │ │ │ CHARLES COOTE MEREDITH Philip John
(b) (= A. Johnson) Mary
(b) Rice
(b) (= C. Baldwin)
(c. 1770 – 1852)
at least 15 children at least I child 11 children (perhaps eleven)
↓ Anne John, Charles, Philip, William, (Rev.) Joseph,
↓ Harietta, Charlotte Alicia*
Caroline Eliz., Elizabeth,
Mary, Edward
(i) = Frances Warburton 1798 died 1823
children, as listed by NMC * - 16, “ … four of which there is no record”
Nancy *** Mary Rice ** Richard * Elizabeth ø William Charity **
Frances ± Henry George Bartholomew Thomas
pmk note: neither Thomas, nor NMC’s “four missing”, have been found.
(ii) = Kathrine Mann 1824 died 1833 (my ancestor)
children, as listed by NMC * - 5
Lillie Ann Ellen Philip*** Jane ** Cathrine (‘Kate’) **
pmk note: Thomas has since been added, Ellen is still an uncertain (see
mention of her in the detailed listing of Charles’ & Kate’s children,
below) and Lillie Ann has not been found.
(iii) = Lucy Wyly 1834 buried 1880 “No issue”
* see generation-by-generation texts, below, for the extent of current knowledge
(a) see Addendum 1 (b) see Addendum 2
** emigrated to Canada *** emigrated to USA ø
lived in both Canada and USA.
± emigrated to Australia
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CHARLES COOTE MEREDITH & HIS DESCENDANTS
1. Charles Coote Meredith, Raree Valley, Queen's County (now Co. Laois), Ireland. Held a gov't position at
Mount Mellick. Was pensioned and lived in Dublin, 'Talka Lodge' and 'Prospect House'.
born: abt . 1770 (presumably at Reary. Year calculated from his burial record).
parents: see Addendum #1
married: three times; c.1798, 1824, 1834
died: 1852 (at ‘Prospect Hill’- see below)
buried: 20/3/1852, St Jerome Cemetery, Dublin, 81 years.
- Reary Valley (aka Clonygark) is a Townland and a house in the civil parish of Rearymore.
Charles must have moved to Mountmellick for his work, for we see that at least until the death
of his first wife, Frances, the family was living in that town, located in the parish of Rosenallis,
adjacent to Rearymore Parish.
- Talka Lodge was in an area north of Dublin called Cabra, now a suburb. Until it was built up in the
1940s “the area mostly comprised fields and open countryside”. As far as I have been able to determine,
the parishes covering the area were Dublin St George, and Grangegorman. (The parish records for the
former include some entries under the name Wiley, the name of Chas’ third wife, Lucy).
I have searched in vain for a baptism notice for Charles. The original records are lost but neither can I find this
information in the very few remaining issues of the Freeman’s Journal for1769-1771 held by the British Library’s
newspaper collection in Colindale (North London). I also searched, again without success, for his first marriage in the
almost complete collection of the same paper for1799 and 1800. The National Archives hold an index which refers to
his marriage bond of 1798. (Did I look in this newspapers for 1798?)
NMC is the only source I have seen which shows a middle name for Charles; RCB records, newspapers etc. are not
consistent in including middle names. There was a Coote, Bt. who was, at least for a time, the Meredith landlord for
Rearymore and Rearyvale and who appears to have himself at one point occupied adjacent Rearybegs: so might the
‘Coote' in Charles's name be a spot of timely ingratiation? (That Coote, landlord, was presumably a descendant of
the Sir Charles Coote, of Montrath, Queens’ Co., who married Alice Meredith, granddaughter of Bishop Richard,
though of no known relationship to ‘our’ Meredith family). (3)
BJW reports that a Dorothy A.A. Wyly wrote in a manuscript that CCM. was a solicitor. Perhaps, though we do know,
from Internal Revenue documents found in 2008 by KW that he worked from 15/10/1800 until his death in 1852 as a
Tax Collector, at various levels of authority. This fits well with the identification provided in the 1850 marriage cert. of
his son Philip stating that Charles is a “Revenue Officer” (see entry for Philip, below).
In 1812 he was a hearthmoney collector. In October 1800 he was appointed Tax collector at an annual salary of £100.
In January 1819 he was appointed First Class, Assessor of Taxes, at an annual salary of £200. In 1824 he had
completed 24 years, 6 months of service. In November 1825 his position as Assessor with the "Late Department of the
Assessed Taxes" had been abolished, his "salary and emoluments" totaled £230 15s 4d, his period of service 23 years,
11 months and that an annual compensation allowance of £134 12s 3d was paid from that time. (the equivalent in 2006
being about £95,000). (source. KW & pmk – for greater detail, see “Supporting Documents.)
I still do not know where in Ireland Chas. worked nor the year of his move from Queen’s to Dublin, though family lore
has it (NMC) that his second wife, Kate Mann, was from Dublin. The earliest record that I have found for his presence
in Dublin County (at Tolka Lodge) appears in the marriage notice of his daughter Jane, in April 1844 ©. He then
appears in Thom's Dublin Directory, 1845, a farmer, at Tolka Lodge, presumably by then at or near retirement from his
government employment. He also appears in Griffith's at Ballyboggan, Finglas, Dublin. When he married Lucy Wyly in
1834 he was living in St Marks Parish, Dublin.
His death is recorded in the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers: "Account of Retired Allowances or
Superannuations in Public Offices, 1853," indicates Charles died 18 March, 1852.© His“Inland Revenue
Superannuation Allowance Ceased within the year”. His death was reported in the "Cork Examiner," 22 March 1852:
“death of C. Meredith Esq. of Prospect House, Finglass, aged 81”. According to cemetery records (Mount Jerome
Cemetery fax to PMK, of 24/9/02) he was living at ‘Prospect House’ when he died.
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The siblings of Charles are treated in Addendum #2.
Charles married three times and, from his first two wives, had between 16 and 21 children.
= ( i ) Frances Warburton, in 1800, of Garry Hinch and Portarlington (NMC). More likely from the
(related) Warburtons of Aughrim, Co. Galway (BJW). Marriage date almost certainly earlier since the
MLB Index for Kildare (1790-1865) lists their marriage bond for 1798. (The marriage took place not far
from when Charles began his employment as a tax collector).
Frances was born 1778 (estimated by BJW), died 26/2/1823,* buried, 21/3/1823 in Mountmellick,
Rosenallis parish (RCB). Mother was Ann Elliot, dau. of Col.Elliot of Mountelliot, Co. Wexford, Parish of
St Mary's New Ross . Eldest brother was Bartholomew Boyd (abt 1753-1820), whose son was Major Geo.
of Aughrin. Her Father was Rev. Richard, rector of Brittas or Ballybrittas King's Co., whose father, in
turn, was Rev. George Warburton of Parsontown and Birr (d. 20/3/1760). This latter apparently had 6
children (est.) (source: all, after RCB reference, is from BJW).
* Freeman’s Journal, March 27, 1823: “At Mountmellick, on the 19th
inst,
Mrs Frances, wife of Charles Meredith, Esq and younger daughter of the late Reverend
Richard Warburton, M.A. formerly Rector of Banagher (pmk note: Offaly county) and
Principal of the Diocesan school there”.©
“Charles and Frances had 16 children four of which are without record here." (NMC).
- NMC felt she had ‘proved’ 12 children, whose names she listed in her pedigree © (and see listing on
p.4, above). We have been unable to find the Thomas she listed and, if she indeed had 16 children,
four others have still not been found)
- The children are recorded here in the order presented by NMC, without regard to subsequent proof of
date of birth/baptism).
2. Nancy (Anne) eldest dau. (b.1801) [NMC]. [But see sister Mary, below];
= William Wyly (b.26/5/1797, BJW) ©, in March 1823 at Mountmellick. (NMC). In fact, on April 20, 1823, by
licence,in Mount Mellick, “both of this parish.” William’s surname shown as Wiley. (source: RCBL, seen by KW).
William buried at Moate Grange, Glassan, on 10/7/1848 (B.J.W). (NMC said he died in 1854.) According to
BJW, William was the son of Thomas Trueman Wyly and Mary Russell, both of Westmeath (?). NMC had
wondered whether Wm's father might have been Richard. And see NMC papers on the Wyly family].
William was an older brother of John, who married Nancy’s half-sister, Jane (below), and a younger brother
of Lucy, third wife of Chas (Coote) Meredith.
Nancy d. 1857 at Fort Dalhousie, Ont., at the home of her daughter Frances Wyly , while on a visit from New
York where she had been living with some of her children, since 1855)
3. 8 children (NMC) (all baptised in Rosenallis Parish)
-Charles b.1824 (RCB). killed 1862, American Army. Bapt. 1823, Rosenallis. (RCB)
-Thomas b. 1826 (RCB) d. Dublin, 1846
-William b. 1828; d. Dublin 1851
-Robert died in US
-George Henry " " "
-Frances W. (Warburton) b.1831(RCB) d. May 10, 1925. Came to Canada in 1848 "with her Aunt Jane
of Dublin" (Jane was daughter of Kate Meredith and CCM ). Frances’ account of their emigration
was transcribed by her daughter, Nancy. © (“At the end of six weeks we arrived “(in New York)
whence they “departed by train for Hamilton, Upper Canada, where we were met by “Aunt
Cherry…with a carriage, who took us to Dundas where she and Aunt Bessie lived”.) She occupied
teaching and governess jobs in many towns in Ontario, before marrying.
In 1855 Frances married John Symington Clark (of Port Dalhousie, Ont).
4. Five children: Beverly, Nancy, Kate, John, Elizabeth
Nancy Clark was the author of the notes which were the starting point for this pedigree. She
was living in 1913 in St Catharines, Ont. at 11 King St . (St.Catharines Directory, 1913).
Nancy lived in St Catharines from at least 1914 to 1930, after which date her name no longer
appears in the St. Catherines' Directory. She died in 1937, age 79; (BJW)
Frances (Mrs. John S. Clark) died in St Catharines 10/5/1925, aged 94 years, a, widow for 48 years.
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- Mary b. 1832 (RCB) [? same as the Mary b. abt. 15/7/1833, d.2/12/1916, = Joel Lewis Ellis
(BJW)?
-Elizabeth (‘Bessie’) (b. 1835) (RCB). Mother given as 'Ann', presumably ' Nancy'). Came to New
York in 1855. In 1864, married William Farmer (abt.1822-1911, formerly of Ancaster, Ont.), "who
became a celebrated mech(anical) eng(ineer) in USA"( eng. & architect in NYC). Retired to '
Brockton House', Ancaster, Upper Canada.. (His wealthy father had chartered a ship to Quebec
City in 1834 from Brockton Court, Bridgenorth, Shropshire, bringing ten families with him.
Farmer's Rapids, on the Gatineau River, four miles from its entering the Ottawa, is named after him
and there is now a Hydro-Québec dam on the site. The Historical Society of Gatineau, Chelsea, has
an on-line article on William).
4. six children; Elizabeth (= Rev. Alex. Rich; living in Florida in 1934), William, Mary (=
Charles Leith, of Scotland. Went to Ancaster), Frances (= Thomas Leith , no chn.,
Ancaster),Thomas(= Norma Clark, dau of Bishop of Hamilton) and Florence Warburton .
(italicised entries are from BJW)
2. Mary b. 29/1/01, Rosenallis. bapt. Jan. (June?) 29, 1801 (RCB) = William Jermyn (b.1792 or 1802; d.1855,
aged 63? 64?, at Sneem), of Scart House ©, which he rebuilt (Castle Cove ,Co. Kerry). Marriage on 5/1/1830
according to B.J.W.; RCB records show it on Dec 16,1829 in Mountmellick, by license (two weddings? banns and
marriage? marriage date vs. newspaper date?). (sources for this entry: N.C. and, via K.W., the " clancleary"
website, citing Irish papers).
3. 6 children NMC showed only those 3 who came to Canada:
Mary (Matilda?) = George Farmer of Ancaster ,Ont.
Ellen = Thomas Walker of Hamilton, Ont.
Thomas (b 18454 ?, d 1904) = Lillie Bell of Hamilton (dau. of Richard).
Mary (Jermyn) Farmer and Thomas Jermyn left children and grand children.
Three further children:
Wm. David (b 1832) = Anne Jermyn; issue, of which Charles David (b 1872 at Sneem);
Susan = Rev. Patrick Moinah (issue);
Charles (died young).
2. Rice (4)
= Amelia Aitkins (5)
in Quebec City, Holy Trinity, Cathedral, 30/7/1831, by license. ©
sources for Rice are NMC and:
(i) Lower Canada Marriage Bonds 1779-1858, National Archives, Ottawa; bond date 30/7/1831, which
shows Rice being from Montreal and Amelia from Quebec City. (The 1851© &1871 censuses show both as
having been born in Ireland); Lower Canada marriage contract ©
(ii) their marriage record, in the Drouin Collection, showing Rice as a “Merchant’s Clerk”, bachelor, and
Amelia’s father as Thomas, “shopkeeper”. Marriage took place at the Anglican Cathedral in Quebec City
on 30/7/1831. ©). We also have Amelia's maiden name from the death cert. of one of her daughters,
(Francis aka Fanny, below).
This marriage took place in tandem with that of Amelia’s sister, Elizabeth , to Rice’s friend, and
henceforth brother-in-law, Paul Lepper.
Rice was born in either in 1805 or '06 (based on burial record of 4/12/1871 at Ingersoll Rural Cemetery, which
says he was 66) or in 1811 or '12 (based on Ont. 1871 census, Ingersol, which says 60). Rice d. 3/12/1871; burial
arrangements made by Charles Meredith, presumably his son. Amelia's death is recorded in Toronto on 30 Nov.,
1894, age 80. (source: SH citing Ont. death reg. # 23466).
“ Rice lived in Toronto” (NMC).
Rice arrived in Canada no later than 1831 (the year of his marriage in Quebec City to Amelia). The marriage
cert. shows him as being of Montreal, but he stayed on in Quebec after the marriage. He was still in Quebec City for
the 1851 census of Canada East © which shows Rice (47), Amelia (36), Charles (19), Eliza (17), Thomas (14),
Francis (12) & Ellen (2). It also shows a death in the family during the preceding year, apparently of 4 year old
George.
He lived in Montreal, Quebec City, Kingston &/or Belleville, and in Guelph before ending up a “merchant” in
Ingersoll, Ontario (1871 census ©). The birth and death dates of dau. Amelia (below) show that the family left Lower
Canada (now Quebec) for Upper Canada (Ontario) sometime after mid-1843. There are records of his having
attended meetings in Trois-Rivières (1834) and Quebec City (1837, year of the armed Rebellion) in support of the
‘Loyalist’ cause; he went to a couple of these meetings with his brother-in-law, Paul Lepper, and with his brother
Richard. © He witnessed his sister Kate's marriage in Kingston in 1855 (see entry for Kate, below)
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3. 5 children (NMC) In fact, at least 6 (4 daus., 3 sons). [1871 Ontario census, Ingersoll, Oxford
County, gives Rice 60, merchant, Amalia (sic) 59, Elizabeth 28, Fanny 25, Ellen 20. Parents
shown as born in Ireland, Elizabeth and Fanny in Quebec and Ellen in Ontario.
- Amelia buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Potters Field), Toronto on 18/1/1850 (?), at age 6
yrs. 6 mos. (Ontario Archives). Parents named? (But weren’t they still in Quebec City? See 1851
census)
- Charles (b. in Lower Canada) = (i) Catherine Ann Brock, 24 May 1864, in Guelph (pub. 27 May
1864), (ages, 28 & 19); 2 children: Charles, died age 6, & Albert Brock (who later lived in
Kingston. Ont). (ii) Matilda Harrington, 23/3/1876, Toronto, York, Ont. (ages, 39 & 26).
- Thomas = Hannah H. Crowe, 19 Feb.1866, in Galt (pub. 27 May 1866). He died before 1901.
(dau. Amelia; son Harcourt Thomas Atkins, 24, druggist, Grey Co, Toronto m. Cecilia Roode,25,
York Co, d/o G. W. Roode, 3/7/1902, at Deer Park: #019117-02 York Co; son, Rice William
(merchant)= Ada Charlotte Banks, of Durham. Had issue).
- George, died 4/6/1851, age 4., so born abt. 1847. (source: S.H., from Quebec City Gazette.
- Bessie, with whom Fanny lived at 292 Avenue Rd., d. on Nov 21, 1916, aged 60 (reg. #7295,; if
so born 1856 or '57).
- Fanny, unmarried, d. in Toronto on 16/11/1913 age 55, (Ont. death reg #7293). If so, born abt.
1858. ) Fanny's death cert. names her parents. (seen by S.H.).
- Ellen, still living in Toronto in 1933 (NMC). Born 1851 acc. to 1871 census..
(source for Rice and Thomas, S.H., from the 'Elora Observor' 1859-1877).
NOTE; The birth years for the three girls are contradictory as between the 1871 census and
their ages cited at death.
2. Richard O.T.P. baptised 30/1/1803, Rosenallis (RCB). It is very likely this is the Richard who was married,
by license, to Letitia Mitchell on 17/9/1835 at the American Presbyterian Church, Montreal ©. He is shown as a
‘Tide Waiter’ (i.e. a minor port official) but it is not mentioned whether he is a bachelor. Their son, William, age 8
months, was buried at Christ Church, Montreal, on 13 March, 1837 (died 11th
March). © Richard died in Montreal
on Jan 20, 1841, “aged 35”. The burial took place in the presence of William ? (signature) at Trinity Memorial
Church. © (The Drouin Collection is the source for all three Montreal events). Letitia remarried on 16/3/1852, to
James Russell, private in the 20th
Regiment of Foot, also of Montreal, in the Methodist Church. (Letitia’s name is
signed by an X in both marriages).
Richard may have immigrated to the Canadas in 1826; there is a record of a Richard Meredith aboard the
steamship “Chambly” from Quebec City to Montreal in November of that year. There is also a record of his having
attended in Montreal, 1837 (year of the armed Rebellion). a meeting of the ‘Loyals’. ©
2. Elizabeth O.T.P. Came to Brooklyn,(6)
N.Y. in 1846. Died there 25/2/58 (I have a copy of a Hamilton newspaper
clipping which refers to Elizabeth as, "formerly of Hamilton, Canada West", and as 'Miss'). The 1851 Canadian census
(taken in Jan 1852) shows her in Hamilton with her half- sister Jane [the widow Wylie] and ? (presumably, the
daughter of Rice Meredith and Cherry Baldwin).
2. William born abt.1809; died 1872, aged 63; buried, Clontarf, Dublin on 16/2/1872. (K.W.)
NMC’s pedigree states that Wm’s first marriage was to Elizabeth French, with no other info.
offered. K.W.’s sleuthing has shown that Nancy was mistaken. = (1) Eliza Jane Clifford, 18/1/1837 (Freeman’s Journal, Jan 26). (via KW)
5 children: Charles Stewart (bapt 7/4/1839, Aughadark, Ballinamore, Letrim); Richard Allen
Cameron (bapt 16/5/1841, do., died 1862 Ballaghaderreen), William (born abt. 1845; died aged
21, Castlerea Reg. District); George W (born abt. 1845, died 1863, aged 18, Ballafhaderreen),
Henry (born abt. 1849, died aged 17, Castlerea Reg District)
- Eliza Jane died 1859
= (2) Elisa G. Thomas, on September 6, 1860 at the Church of Castlemore, a parish 2 miles N.W of
Ballaghadireen, Diocese of Achonry, County Mayo. © He is described as “Officer of Police,
sub inspector” and his father as “Charles Meredith, Supervisor of Taxes”. Eliz Thomas
(spinster), was the daughter of the Rev. Anthony Thomas, vicar of the church in which they
were married by her brother, George.
2. Charity = Senator H.(Harcourt) B. Bull, of Hamilton, Jan 3, 1856, St Luke's Church, Port Dalhousie, Ont.
(sources: Hamilton Spectator, Jan 5; “Wilson’s Marriage Notices”, ©). His second marriage. She lived her
married life in Hamilton, Ont.. Died there in 1884 (source; Record of Burials, Blachford and Sons; National
Library of Canada). Senator Bull's family founded and owned the "Hamilton Gazette", which began publication in
1835 and closed on Sept 1, 1856, when it would appear it was bought by the "Hamilton Spectator". The NAC do not
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have the "Gazette" numbers of Sept. 1856 (month of the marriage), nor can they locate them elsewhere. And see on
file, my note "Charity Meredith", dated 9/2002.
3. 1 child, Dorothy, d. infant. (Bull had 2 sons by 1st marriage; John & George.)
2. Frances (Ruth Frances, acc. to Wyly descendants); bapt. Sept 25, 1810 (RCB) = Robert Wyly on 2/10/1833
(RCB, Rosenallis). Marriage announced in Freeman’s Journal, 7/10/1833, in which she is stated to be the “fourth
daughter of Charles Meredith of Mountmellick, Esq.”. She died 11/3/1853, one month after their emigration to
Australia; age given, 36. Buried at St Paul's, Collingwood, Melbourne (Victoria BMD ) though she was actually 42.
He died on Nov 22, 1854 (BJW). (A remote possibility that she is not correctly identified; BJW).
Robert (20/8/1807 – 22/11/1854) was a younger brother of William (= Nancy/Anne Meredith), of John (=
Jane Meredith) and of Lucy, third wife of Chas (Coote) Meredith.
3. 7 children (perhaps 8) eldest child was Frances Ruth Wyly, bapt. Nov, 20, 1834, Rosenallis; = Geo.
R. Shadgett, 1854. Their dau. Florence Emily(=Shadgate), is BJW's grandmother (b 1870). Ruth
Frances died 18/3/1884, Adelaide. The youngest dau, Adelaide, was perhaps so named because that
was likely the family's Australian destination.
A posting on Ancestry (seen 11/2011) names the mother Ruth Frances and the daughter Frances
Ruth (Wyly) and shows pictures of Henry Meredith (brother?) and Ruth Frances.
2. Henry O.T.P. Born circa 1810 (see death notice below). Probably the 'Henry' who appears on Charles
(Coote?) Meredith's burial certificate, 1852. Various Dublin City directories consulted by S.H. show a Henry
Meredith Esq. at Whitehall, Finglas for 1863, 1864 & 1866; there is no further record of him there from 1870.
K.W. suggests he may be the Henry was also in Market Square, Waterford in (1851 Griffiths Valuation) and who
died at Portlaw in Waterford Co.21/10/1874 (County Library records and BMD index). His death cert. describes
him as “shopkeeper, 64”, so he is also probably the Henry Meredith of Bllaghaderreen, a flour dealer and
shopkeeper who went bankrupt in 1864. © (source for everything starting “ K.W. suggests”, is K.W.).
2. George Thomas (b. ca. 1817, d. 5/2/1897, Navan; source K.W.) = Lillie Ann Birney, fifth dau. of George,
"Ass't Com. General", B.A., at Ballymacormack Church,Co. Longford,on 10/9/1857 (source; Hamilton, Ont. &
New York newsclippings in hands of PMK).© He was sub-agent of Bank of Ireland, Drogheda (Co. Lough). Lillie
Ann was b. ca. 1826 and d. 1902, age 76. (source K.W., who also found the children and grandchildren, below; the
children of Chas. George are to be found in a tree prepared by Mark Calnan of St. Albans, U.K.).
Lilly Anne (sic), widow, died on 30/8/1902, resident at 33Mountpleasant Square, Rathmines county, Dublin. Her
will was probated in Dublin and “sealed” on 28/1/? in London.© The probate was to her son, Charles George
Meredith, D.I.R.I.C.* “Effects £465 10s 3d in England” – presumably the value of land or other assets owned there.
(source: Ancestry.com, England & Wales National Probate Calendar – Index of Wills & Administrations – 1858-
1966, via K.W.)
* District Inspector Royal Irish Constabulary
3. 6 children
- Frances Alice Meredith b. ca. 1859 = Harry Vere White (later Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert
and Aghadoe) on Sept 2. 1879. The Whites had two sons, of whom one was Harry Vere (in
the 1891 census a boarder, age 13, at Denstone College, Cheadie, U.K.) and the other,
Newport Benjamin White,( b. 1880 in NZ, who became Keeper of Marsh’s Library, Dublin,
1930 to 1956 , the year of his death). Daughter of Harry and Frances was Dorothy, who m.
Charles Edgar Young].
- Charles George Meredith, b.1861, Droheda, d. Ireland 1916. In 1890 married Agnes Louisa
Kingscote. (Agnes .b 1870, dau of FitzHardinge Kingscote and Agnes Grant Stuart. She d. in
Duncan, B.C.).( see site www.the peerage.com, for references to Chas. George - his father-
in-law married 1st, Lady Isabella Anne Francis Somerset, dau of Sir Henry Charles Somerset,
sixth Duke of Beaufort, and 2nd
( who was the mother of Geo. Fitshardinge), Hon. Harriott
Mary Anne Bloomfield, dau. of Lt-Gen. Sir Benjamin Bloomfield, 1st
Baron Bloomfield of
Oakhampton and Redwood).
(Chas. George’s mother-in-law, Agnes Grant Stuart, was the daughter of John Stuart
who was born in 1808 in Brockville, Canada. His father, John, was Sherriff of the
Johnstown District, U.C., 1814-1829. Chas. George’s parents-in-law were married in
Canada. Chas George later emigrated to Canada).
4 children. (i) George Fitzhardinge. b. 10/11/1891 (ii) Thomas Joseph, b. 16/12/’93
(iii) Isobel Agnes Mary (b. 9/5/’96 Tralee, d. Feb 1973, Victoria, BC.) = Leonard
Calnan of Hertfordshire ( Isobel is the maternal grandmother of Mary Fletcher of
Quesnel, B.C. – source. S/H.) (iv) Charles (‘Chip’) Bloomfield , b.20/ 2/1904, d.
1/1999 in Mill Bay, B.C.) = Mary (‘Molly’) Catherine Heron, in 1931. Charles
established a bursary at Brentwood College School, Victoria, B.C., in her name.
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- ‘male’, b. 1865
- Charlotte Sophia, b.1866, Navan (Ludlow St.), d.1886 ©
- Joseph Henry, b.1868, d. 1889
- William Rice, b.8/11/1869, d. 5/3/1897. = Elinor Alice Deacon, 3/8/1905. First son was
William George Meredith, b. 1906. Son Dermot George Deacon Meredith was b in 1908 and
d. 26/12/1988. He married Marjorie Edith Buchanan in All Saints Church, Malabar Hill,
Bombay, on 25/9/1935.
(sources: from K.W. –The Times, 26//9/1960 © & The Times 29/12/1988 ©)
In 1960 the couple was living at 18 Hazel Bank, Kings Norton, Birmingham.
2. Bartholomew Elliott b.1806-07, d. 19/10/1888 = Anne (Anna) Meredith, 1830 - Wills and Marriage licenses,
Dublin Diocese 1270-1857: source, Deputy Keeper. An Irish genealogical web site shows her living on Aungier St &
they were married at St Peter’s. [According to KW, it appears likely, in the light of evidence from various transactions
re the property called Lackamore, that they were first cousins. Her parents were likely Philip Meredith (brother of
Charles Coote M.) & Alica Johnson.]. - For Lackamore, see Addendum 2, under Philip John. Property could have
gone to Bartholmew via his marriage. See Griffith's Valuation, 1850; come the update of 1855, Bartholomew is no
longer there. According to PM the family moved to Waterford via Kerry. (Note: Vanstan/Vanstone first appears in
this generation - P.M.).
3. 9 children (NMC claims 9 children for Bartholomew and Anne, but her list following
Bartholomew’s name shows only four, viz: Thomas G, of Clara Hill, Queen’s Co; Lillie Ann (otp) ;
Ellen (otp); Philip. This list is puzzling, as it contains three names she also lists as children of Charles
and Kate. One wonders whether it could be an error in lay-out of her text. © In any event, the entry
“Thomas G. of Clara Hill, Queen’s Co.” is surely mistaken; Clara Hill was the residence of John
Meredith, son of Matthew (see Addendum 1) whose son, Thomas G. emigrated to Canada.(also
Addendum 1). Perhaps, though, there was a Thomas who has not yet been found.
The following, much of which comes from KW, is an attempt to assemble Bartholomew’s family.
It proves 7 children, with an eighth as a hovering possibility.
-Frances Amelia A(nn), “Fanny”, bapt. 30/4/1831, (Rosenallis parish register: pmk).
= John Isaac Germain (marriage registered 1880 Q1) in the U.K.
He was a retired gunner and died on 5/12/1903. His probate (Ldn. 28 /1/1904) names his wife and
Arthur Thomas Mitchel Germain, grocer’s assistant, possibly a son. It was probably Frances who
died in Waterford, age 83, in 1914.(Irish death registrations shows “Thomas A.A. Germain”,
probably missing the ‘Mrs.’). Frances was a witness at her niece Anna Kate’s wedding in 1887 as
Fanny Meredith. (KW)
-Philip Henry, b. April or May 1833 at Mountmellick. (P.M. says 1832). Died 14/9/1881
(Waterford). Eldest son. Enlisted in Constabulary , age 20, in 1852 (film # 856061). Later in the
Grenadier Guards and apparently served in B.N.A . = (1) Annie Palmer, 1861. son Joseph Elliott
Meredith. = (2) Susan Flude, 1876.
- Ellen Susan b. 5/6/1835. d. 1926, Victoria, Australia. = James Henry Doyle, 22/2/1864, Talbot,
Victoria, Australia. Emigrated to Australia in 1859 along with Elizabeth Meredith, 22 © - see
below. (source. IBK via KW)
- Charles Warburton (died 22/10/1911, age 70, so b. abt 1841) = Kate Palmer. Six children, All
born in Alverstoke, Hampshire.
- John Joseph born 1869, England. (residence at 1871 and ’81 Censuses - Alverstoke,
Hampshire). Married Cecilia F. McCreight, 1900, Cork. (she was born abt. 1867, dau of
Wm. H. and Cecilia Flynn). They emigrated to Boston Ward, Suffolk Mass., USA in
1912, when Chas. W. was age 43. Their children, all born in Cork: John W. (1903),
Cecelia C.(1905), Wm. G.B.(1906), Mary Kathleen H. (1907), Anna Francis B.(1909?) who
has living descendants. = (2) Sarah Florence Hardiman, 1895. (K.W.).
- Anna Kate Meredith (b. 1865) =Richard Coad, Methodist Church, Waterford.
- Frances E. (b. 1866) = Richard H. Smyth, Waterford Cathedral, 18/1/1892
- John Joseph (b. 1867), = Ceclia F. Vize McCreight (Cork, 12/6/1900
- Charles James (b. 1869) = Catherine Smyth, Waterford, 29/4/1894
- William Henry (b. 1870) = Frances Jane Cox, Waterford, 1/2/1898
- Rice O'Connell. buried 16/1/1904 , age 59 (so b. abt 1845), unmarried clerk (P.M.). Death cert.
shows he was an accountant and died at ' The Limes', Johnshill, Waterford City (KW).
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- William Elliott, 1846-1928, of Waterford. = (1) Sarah Jane Morgan, 1871. son William Elliott
George, b. & d. 1872); (2) = Sarah Parkinson , six children.
- Anna born ca.1873. She married twice.
(i) to Thomas Power, 10/10/1875, R.C. Church. Waterford
(ii) to Patrick Kavanagh, 29/4/1882, R.C. chapel, Waterford
In both certs. she is identified as the daughter of Bartholomew.
- Elizabeth ? An Elizabeth Meredith appears on the passenger list alongside Ellen Susan (above)
on the latter’s emigration to Australia in 1859 – source KW). Aged 22 in 1859, so b. abt. 1837.
Might she be the Lillie Ann who appears to be part of Bartholomew’s family as recorded by NMC?
- Thomas (not yet found)
2. Thomas - pmk note: Thomas has not yet been found, and is perhaps confused by NMC with the Thomas born to
Charles and Kate. If Chas and Frances did indeed have a Thomas, presumably he died before the baptism of Chas &
Kate’s Thomas in 1828
2. "and four of which there is no record " (NMC) . – would make five if they did not have a Thomas.
= (ii) Katharine Mann, 1824 (date? place?). Born 23 or 26 /6/1807, Dublin (both NMC). *
Burial 17/9/1833, Coolbanagher Parish, Queen's Co.; "Catharine, wife of Charles Meredith of
Killowen" (RCB).
* A Catherine Mann was baptized on 10/4/1803 at St Anne’s, Shankill, Belfast © though it
is not at all sure this is her.
"Killowen is a large house on the Heath between Portlaois and Stradbally." (J.M.). Today
called Killone, just north of Portalois. (There is also a townland Killowen near Edenberry,
King’s Co., now Offaly).
The Tithe Applotment Books place Charles (and presumably Katharine) at Ackregar in 1825
(“Parish Ardea, Townland Ackergar, Charles Meredith, 8 acres 2 roods 32 perches; Irish
Plantation Measure”).
Children: NMC says 5 (see “Summary Pedigree…” , above). We have been able to prove 4
(which include Thomas, a name not cited by NMC). We agree with NMC about three - Philip,
Jane and Kate. NMC adds Ellen and Lillie Ann – Ellen is an uncertain (see below) and Lillie
Ann has not been found.
2. Philip John bapt. 11/9/1824), Akregar, Coolbanagher (RCB) - though one researcher reports 1825 .
= Julia Smith/Smyth, 19, on 11/10/1850, in St. Michan’s Church, Dublin. (C of I) © Marriage repeated two days later, Oct. 13, in the Catholic Church of St Canices, Finglas.
He is “of full age”.© Both are shown as living at 30 Beresford St.. Philip is a ‘Railway Officer” and his
father, Charles, a “Revenue Officer”. Julia is identified as “servant” and her father, “farmer”. (source:
Ancestry.com via K.W.) It appears that Julia may have been a Roman Catholic and that Philip converted to
his wife’s religion. Their oldest child became an R.C. priest. (On the other hand, Philip & Julia were married
in a church of the Church of Ireland – though no Meredith acted as witness).
They emigrated to New York on 6/6/1851, a year after their marriage, and settled in that city. (The
web site, Ancestry, shows a couple of family trees - seen by me in 2011).
7 children:
(Rev.) Chas. A (1852-1904; priest at Holy Rosary Church, Harlem);
Kate (ca. 1854- )
Ellen (ca 1856 - );
Philip (1860-1938); at least 3 children);
Bernard (1868 - );
Lizzie (1867 - );
John (1869-1919; = Delia Carroll; 5 children; the web site ‘Ancestry’ displays a pedigree of the
Carroll family).
For more detail, see file on Philip in “Supporting documents”. He died in Rye, N.Y. on 18/9/1904. Julia had
died in 1890.
2. Jane bapt. 14/1/1827, Coolbanagher, Akregar (RCB). died, Montreal, 23/9/1897, age 70 (source: death reg.)
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Jane emigrated to Canada in 1848 (see account by Frances Wyly, above, confirmed by immigration records
of Port of New York, 1848 – IERPS ©). It appears she settled in Kingston. On her death in Montreal she
“was taken to Kingston for Internment” on Sept 25 (source; S.H. from death reg.).
(i) = John Wyly on 18/4/1844 in Finglas Church, Dublin. (source: Nenagh Guardian, 24/4/1844 © ) .
Newclipping shows she is daughter of Charles Meredith Esq, of Tolka Lodge. (Dublin marriage license
2/?/1844; source, Deputy Keeper). He died in 1852 (NMC). He must have died earlier, as the 1851
Canadian census - taken in Jan 1852 - shows Jane Wylie, a 23 year old widow living in Hamilton, Ontario,
with her sister Eliza Meredith, 27, and Charlotte Meredith, 28, (one of the unaccounted for children of
Charles ?), each identified as a “lady”. B. Wright says John’s life was 1806- 1849, and that he died (was
buried?) at “Mt. Jerome” (based on written evidence from “the generally reliable Dorothy A.A. Wyly”). ©
John was a younger brother of William (=Jane’s half-sister Nancy/Anne) and of Lucy (third wife of
Chas Coote Meredith) and elder brother of Robert (= Frances Meredith).
(ii ) = Lester (Norvall) Putnam of Montreal, at Christ Church, Hamilton , Canada West, 2/7/1852
(publication, "The Church"). She is referred to in a newsclipping as "the dau. of the late Charles
Meredith of Prospect House , Dublin"; Chas. died in 1852, so the marriage took place between
1852 and 1867. Putnam was "Commander of the Steamer, Ottawa" (sources: family newsclipping,
pmk: also info from S.H.) According to census entries they lived for a time in the USA. They may
have separated. He died in Kingston.
3. 7 children; two died in infancy. (five listed here). See 1881 census, below*
- Charles Putnam = --?-- McGinnis. He died in 1910
- Henry Lester Putnam = Elizabeth Sarah Howard (one dau., three sons)
From a combination of the 1881 & 1901 censuses
we see she was b. in Ireland on 12/3/1858 and
that her mother was Alice (b. =/- 1831)
children: Frances Emily, born 1885; Howard Lester1887;
Edwyn, 1888; all bapt at St George’s, Anglican, Montreal.
(source: S.H. from records- more info on file).
He was a witness at the Montreal baptism of James Meredith Morris in 1883.
(see Morris tree).
- Maurice Putnam d. 1907, Winnipeg = (i) Miss Archibold (ii) = Kate Totten
4. One surviving dau. Norah, now (i.e.1933) Mrs. Plummer of B. C.
died, Penticton, B.C., 2/11/1955, age 55 (death reg. # 1955-09-002411)
- Frances. died age 17
- Elizabeth (Bessie) Putnam (b. ?) = Robert Harris, May 22, 1885, in Montreal. No issue.
Elizabeth (‘Bessie’) died in Montreal in 1928. The couple lived mainly in Montreal but
travelled and resided widely.
Robert Harris C.M.G., R.C.A., died in Montreal on 27/2/1919 and is buried at St Peter’s
Cemetery, Charlettown, P.E.I. (for his biography, see accompanying computer file,
‘Supporting documents’).
Robert Harris (1848-1919) was born in Wales and emigrated to PEI with his
parents at age 7. He studied painting in London, Paris and Boston and became a
much celebrated portraitist. He was commissioned in 1883 to paint,
retrospectively, "The Fathers of Confederation"; it burned in the Parliament fire
of 1916 but survives through a single photo. Another famous painting of his is “A
Meeting of the School Trustees”. Harris founded the Montreal Art Association
School in 1883 and was its Director until 1886, at which time he was replaced by
William Brymner. He was a founding member of the RCA and was its President for
13 years, beginning in 1893. The major collection of Harris’ work is in
Charlottetown P.E.I., given to the City by his widow on her death in 1928. The
collection is now housed in the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlettown.
For bio of Harris, see “Supporting Documents”, under Meredith. ©
Kathleen Morris, who also became a well-known Canadian painter,
was related to Harris through her maternal grandmother, Kate
(Meredith) Bell. One can not help wonder if he might not have
encouraged her to become a painter. Kay Morris’ grandmother, Kate
[Meredith] Bell, had an older sister, Jane, whose daughter, Elizabeth
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[“Bessie’] Putnam, married Robert Harris. (for Kathleen, see Morris
pedigree).
* 1881 census: Montreal (St Antoine Ward): therein – Jane, 53, widow, b. in Ireland;
Maurice is Morris, 23; Elizabeth is Bessie, 21; and there is another child, Francis
(“female, 17”- note: she died age 17, bur. Ste Anne de Bellevue). Morris is shown as
having been born in Ontario and the two girls in USA.. (Separate household , St
Antoine Ward: Henry, 26, b. USA, clerk: Eliza 23, b. Ont.).
Also 1891 census: Maurice (Winnipeg); Henry (Montreal, Hochelaga, Côte St. Antoine)
2. Ellen An Ellen Meredith was buried in Rosenallis , Feb.15,1837 (source: RCB, by pmk in 2001). No age given,
nor the name of parents. This was four years after the death of Kate, which might help explain a burial outside
Coolbanagher.
2. Lillie Ann ? An error by NMC. ? This is probably the Lillie Ann Birney who married George Thomas
Meredith, son of Charles and Frances, and therefore their daughter-in-law .
2. Thomas bapt. l1/10/1828, Akregar, Coolbanagher, (seen at RCB by pmk) (note: this is apparently not the
Thomas Meredith who married Rebecca Strong, though these two Thomases were both baptized in Queen's in
1828).
2. Cathrine ('Kate') bapt. 1/1/1830, Coolbanagher. 'Akregar' (RCB).© Our direct ancestor We have two letters of introduction for Kate, dated 1849, which announce her forthcoming
emigration to “America”©, though we don’t know for sure whether she in fact emigrated in that year.
If “America” was loose language for Canada, I can’t find her immigration records; if it meant the USA,
the best I can come up with is the arrival in New York on Feb 21, 1851 (sic) of a “Cathe. Meredith”,
from Ireland, 20, immigrant, travelling on the “Constellation” out of Liverpool. © My mother said that
Kate came out from Ireland to visit or to live with her married sister, Jane Putnam, in Kingston.
However, there was no Jane Putnam/Wylie on this voyage of the ‘Constellation’. A newspaper notice of
her death in 1907 © said she first settled with her ‘cousin’ Dr. Howard, in Montreal, before going to
live with her brother (Rice ?) in Kingston, (where she met her future husband, James Bell).
died: 23/6/ 1907. Buried in C of E Cemetery, Albert St., Arnprior, Ont.
source: Official record, seen on Ancestry.ca, which reports she was 73, born in
Ireland, Anglican and wife of James Bell.©
A largely illegible newspaper notice of her death says she was born in Dublin and
that she died “on Sunday”…© This clipping, entitled “Death of Mrs. James Bell”
probably appeared in a Montreal paper(perhaps Ottawa?) as the paper serving
Arnprior was the Perth Courier, a weekly, and its edition of June 28, the first after
her death, contains no such report.
I have a number of letters exchanged between members of the Bell family, incl
Kate. ©
= James Bell at St. John's Church, Portsmouth, U.C. (Kingston, Ont.) on 15/9/1855. ©
She is listed as resident in Brockville and he in Arnprior. Witnesses were Rice
Meredith & Donald Fraser.
James had been living in Belleville and moved to Arnprior. We know they travelled to Arnprior
immediately after their marriage. (7)
According to census returns, James was born in the USA. He died in Arnprior in 1911.
FOR BELL, SEE THAT PEDIGREE
3. 4 children ( NMC had thought there were only two)
- Robert (in 1907, he was living in Fulton, N.Y., USA: source – Arnprior newsclipping re
his mother’s death in 1907). For his wife and children, see Bell pedigree.
- Charles born ? died Dec 10, 1866, aged 6 months; buried in same plot as his parents.
- Jennie Kate born ? died; Dec 21,1878; buried in same plot.
- Elizabeth ('Eliza') Howard b. 1862, Arnprior, d. 1938, Montreal. Eliza's nickname was ' Lydie', pronounced as a Cockney would say ' lady' (source, Angus
Meredith Morris, pmk's uncle and Eliza’s grandson).
= Montague John Morris Dec. 6, 1882, in Emmanuel Church, Arnprior (Anglican).
He is identified as M.J. Morris, clerk, from Montreal and she as the daughter of
James Bell. The witnesses were all from the Bell side (see Bell pedigree).
(sources: official marriage record © & Perth Courier, Dec 22, 1882 ©).
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FOR MORRIS, SEE THAT PEDIGREE.
= (iii) Lucy Wyly, in 1834 (NMC) (in fact, on Feb. 8, 1834)
Marriage License
- (source, BJW) 5 November, Westmeath. Entry marked 'disowned'; LDS., Dublin,
1834. (source, Deputy Keeper).
- (source, pmk) listed on page 737 of an index of legal instruments published by “Keeper of
the Public Records in Ireland”. Entered as “1834, p. 137” ©
Marriage cert., 8 November. Both of St Mark Parish (Dublin). She is called Lucy Wiley.
The witnesses are Robert Wyly (witness for husband) and Jane Wyly (witness for wife),
presumably her siblings. (source: marriage record copied from
website‘http://churchrecords.irishgenealolgy’) ©
No issue
Lucy was born 4/10/1790 (in Moate?) Westmeath; notes from family bible (BJW). She was the eldest
daughter of Irish Quakers, Thomas Trueman Wyly (1764-1851) of Co. Kildare and Mary Russell (1763-
1855) of Glassan, Co. Westmeath (BJW).
Died at ‘Aged Women Asylum’, 21 New St, Dublin, aged 88. (source; fax from Mount Jerome Cemetery,
Dublin, to PMK, 2/10/2002). (But, age 90; KW, from General Register).
Buried, 21/1/1880, at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin.
Lucy apparently had 14 siblings (from bible notes: BJW) (8, acc. to NMC) born between 1789 (Fletcher)
and 1808 (Alexander). All died in Ireland (most in Moate) except Robert (Melbourne 1854), Jane (India,
1800) and Alexander (Adelaide 1882).
Three of her siblings married children of her husband, Charles (Coote?) Meredith:
Robert (b. 20/8/1807, d. 22/11/1854) = (Ruth) Frances Meredith (dau. of Chas & Frances).
William (1797-1848) = Nancy (Anne?) Meredith (dau. of Chas. and Frances).
John (1806- 1847) = Jane Meredith (dau. of Chas. and Katharine.
The other Wyly children were Fletcher, Maria, Thomas, Sarah, Joseph, Ruthinda, Mary, Ruth, Alicia and
Alexander.
Ruth (Wyly) Shadgett, g g of BJW, born in Rosenallis abt. 1834 and died 18/3/1884. A niece, Isabella
Alice Wyly, went to Australia in 1851. Some family letters appear in 'Oceans of Consolation', Melbourne,
1995. Also Florence Emily Shadgett (1870-1959), Daphne Violet Ruge (1913-1978), Barrie James
McGregor Wright (i.e. BJW) 1944 - BJW has two children. (all info in this para from BJW)
ADDENDA → → →
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ADDENDUM #1: SOME ANCESTORS OF CHARLES (COOTE?) MEREDITH
The Line to Charles
…? RICE (d.1732) THOMAS (1702-1761) RICE (d. 1801 or 1817) CHARLES COOTE (c.1770 – 1852)
Charles's parents: Almost certainly Rice Meredith (of Reary Valley aka Clonygark).
= Mary Hornby, of Deerpark, Queens Co. (MLB, Diocese of Ossory, 10/1/1759).
She was the dau. of Wm. Hornby, "late of Clonenagh", Queen's.
Deed 205-577-137145 (R of D.) appears to indicate that the Townland of Cappagh (Parish of
Clonenagh & Clonagheen) ended up in Meredith hands as a later result of this transaction
involving Hornby and Rice Meredith, as witnessed by a Matthew Meredith. This Rice must have
been one of the two Rices of Reary Valley whose deaths are referred to in footnote (8)
, in which
case he would have died in either 1801 or 1817. For Matthew, a younger brother to Rice (1756 Deed #235-544-155623) and founder of the
Reary More line of Merediths, see in theis addendum’ and, for a detailed record , see "ELLEN
MEREDITH'S ACCOUNT OF HER MEREDITH ANCESTORS”, updated in 2011. ©
Paternal Grandfather: Thomas Meredith, 1702 - 1761. ( = ?). See "Ellen Meredith's account”.
Also, a deed dated 31/12/1751 (#147-530-101516) whereby the Rt. Hon Diana, Countess Dowager
of Montrath, widow and relict of the Rt. Hon. Algernon, late Earl of Montrath, leased Rerymore
(the whole parish, apparently) to Thomas Meredith (“farmer”) for 99 years, “if the said
Countess…shall so long live”. Also a 1756 transaction (deed # 235-544-1556231765;
recapitulated by a 1765 Memorial - Book 235, p.344, #155623) by which The Right Honourable
Charles Henry(Coote), Earl of Montrath, leased Rearymore to Thomas Meredith “During the
natural Lives and life of the said Thomas Meredith, Rice Meredith and Matthew Meredith, Eldest
and youngest sons of the said Thomas Meredith and the survivors and survivor of them subject to
the payment of the yearly rent …amounting in the whole to one hundred and forty pounds by two
equal moietys on every first day of November …and May…”. (KW). Thomas’ will (Betham 1761)
names his mother, Elizabeth; his cousin John; and his children, Mary (=Collins), Richard (aka
Rice?), Elizabeth, Rachel=Henry Greenham; Esther (Easter?); Mary Ann; Matthew. “His
tombstone lies between that of his father Rice and his son Matthew” (E.M.)
Great Grandparents:
Very probably Rice (= Elizabeth). He died 26/2/1732, age 72 (old style); (gravestone seen by EM
& PMK).* So Rice born ca.1660 (calculated from date on tombstone). Family info is that he was
born in either Ireland or Wales, most likely in Ireland. (See the account of Ellen Meredith, who
also reports that her great grandfather claimed that Rice fought in the Battle of the Boyne in
William of Orange’s Battle Axe Guard).
Children; William & John (for both, see 1724 deed). John may be linked to Cappagh.
E.M. also claims children Thomas (“of Rearymore”) and Margaret (=Jones). source: the
will of this Thomas.
Rice’s brothers: Most probably Thomas "of Garr", King's Co. and Mathias. (1724 deed
shows that Thomas had assigned rights to Rerymore to Mathew Meredith in 1697).
* “Tombstone (St Brigid’s, Rosenallis) is next to that of Thomas Meredith, next
to which is the grave of Matthew Meredith; all three are flat and full length
and enclosed within a metal railing which also has a standing gravestone of
some 19th
century descendants” (E.M.)
Earlier: Up to this point, we haven't found a certain way past Rice (d.1732). Family tradition has
it that our Irish Merediths came from Wales. Some in the Irish Meredith clan have felt that we
descend from a 16th
century John Meredith and that this same John Meredith was a brother of
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Richard (d.1597), Bishop of Leighlin. This tradition of descent from John, by now very doubtful, is
recorded by William Rice Meredith in his instructions for the pedigree he commissioned from
Betham in the 19th
C. (LDS mf. 0100244), even though he makes it clear that such descent is
conjectural. This descent is then presented as fact in GOMS 174 (date and provenance unknown),
but is refuted in GOMS 815 on the grounds of lack of evidence.
After various exchanges, notably with Hilary Yewlett and Lex Johnson, and a great deal of
research using original documentation, Keith Winters has been able to track the Bishop's father,
Robert, from Wales to London in the 16th
century and to find his will, in the process reconfirming
that (Bishop) Richard indeed had a (probably older) brother, John. However, KW points out that
there is no credible evidence to date of a link between the Merediths of Queen's Co. and this John.
Among other factors, he feels that the very frequency of the name Rice in 'our' family and its
apparent absence in the families of the Bishop and his brother, argue against a direct descent. (for
KW’s critique of the GOMS pedigree, see ‘Supporting Documents’ computer file). Subsequently,
DNA research has confirmed there is no link between our family and that of the Bishop.
If pushed to speculate, Keith's view is that the Meredith family of Queen's may descend
from the 17th
century Rice Meredith of "Owghell" in Arklow, Co Wicklow (Arklow Money Rolls,
1669, so probably born before 1648) and that this Rice probably came from Wales. (see Keith’s
‘Early Merediths’ tree, prepared in 2010 © and his chart which starts with this Meredith of
Owghell).
E.M. has come up with an interesting list of other early Rice Meredith:
Rise (sic) Meredith = Maudlin Smart, 28/1/1599, St Mary Abbotts, Kensington
Rice Meredith of Kensington, born 28/1/1600, married 28 July, 1638
Rice Meredith = Ann Adams 6/2/1661, Old Church, St Pancras
Rice Meredith, died 1664, buried St Giles, Cripplegate, London
(The first three are from IGI, the last from Boyd’s Burials).
Matthew, Charles's paternal uncle The 1765 Memorial cited supra in the paragraph 'Paternal grandfather', establishes that Rice had a
brother Matthew, of Reary More who married Lewisa Calcut in 1767. (MLB: & Freeman’s
Journal, 10/3/1767, “At said place [Montrath?] Meredith Esq. to the agreeable Miss Calcutt”);
Matthew died 1/9/1793 (gravestone seen by EM & PMK); his will dated 16/7/1793, proved 28/6/94.
Matthew (re)built Reary , the house, which still stands. (sources: EM, & see initials MM over front
door).
For a thorough coverage of Matthew & family, see E. M.'s account. © She shows ten children:
Matthew = Mary (possibly his cousin); Ann = Collins?; Catherine = Collins;
John (9)
= Hannah Green; Mary (?); Elizabeth (b. 1768) = R. Bell; Thomas Calcutt;
Primrose = Wm. Green(e); Lois = Henry Rowe; Joseph.
See also KW’s chart, “Descendants chart of the Reary Merediths”.©
ADDENDUM # 2 CHARLES'S SIBLINGS (& all? some? of their children)
- PHILIP JOHN lived at Rearymoor (NMC). EM mentions that the name Philip is most often associated with Reary
Valley, though deed 553-511-370612 (R of D) shows "Philip of Rerymore" as a witness to a deed involving
Rice of Rearymore and Charles Baldwin. (Such place references are not necessarily at odds (10)
).
Likely we are here dealing with Philip = Alicia Johnson of Quarrymont, Queen's, m. Rosenallis, 21(?)
/1/1806 (RCB & Deed 582-89-391288). He appears to have moved from his father's home (Deed 553-511-
370612) to live at Lackamore/Lackenmore (Deed 582 etc, above). This is both a house and a 200 acre
Townland in Castlebrack, Queen's. Betham states Philip's will was proved in 1809; it mentions his wife, a
dau. Anne, his brothers Charles and Rice, a sister Mary and a 'niece' Mary (note: Rice and Charles each had a
dau. Mary). He was buried at Rosenallis Feb. 2, 1809 (RCB). The fact there was only one child would suggest
this was an early death.
- MARY named in Philip's will, above. Her first name is the same as that of her presumed mother.
- RICE (Raree Valley) = Charity (Charitie) ('Cherry') Baldwin, 1803, MLB.
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Rice died after 6/1846 (and probably before 8/1848 ?… see marriage of dau. Harietta, below and a deed
1849-9-273 ©, found by K.W., which deals with a transaction of 8/04, referring to his widow Charitie (Cherry
and other members of the family.
The 1821 Tithe Applotments refers to his having 182 acres at Rearymore.
Cherry died at Derrylough, Dec 15, 1865, age 81 (death cert. for Cherry Meredith, widow; occupation,
“lady”; informant, Eliza Meredith of Derrylough). Also Irish Times 18/12/1865, “Meredith- December 15 at
Derrylough, the residence of her son, William Meredith Esq., in her 82nd
year. Cherry relict of the late Rice
Meredith Esq, of Reary Valley, Queen’s Co., sister of the late Rev. John Baldwin, J.P. of Castlecuff”. She was a
dau. of Rev'd John Baldwin of Castlecuff (source: deed), Rector of Clonaslee who = Eliz. Baldwin on
4/2/1777, dau. of Jonathan Baldwin of Maryborough (source: M.M.).
Unlike NMC, MMM identifies Rice as being from Derrylough, which is where his widow died. However
both the death record of Cherry, his widowed wife, and the baptism and marriage records of some of his
children show that he had (also?) been of Reary Valley. Griffiths has him still at Rearyvalley (Clonegark) in
1842. His widow died at Derrylough in the house of their son William. Deed 553-511-370612 (R of D) shows
this Rice as being of Rearymore (parish?) in 1803 (before his move to Raery valley?). Rice apparently also
held some property in King's Co. (now Offaly).
Seven children (NC); In fact, ten or eleven, of which at least five sons according to obit of their son
Joseph – (at least six sons, as per below)
John (1st son, aged 14 in 1818 – see K.W. note of 8/06 re. life lease of Knocknowl & Rerymore to Rice,
dated 18/10/1818)
Charles, Ballyburly (parish), Coolville (House), King's (County) (Griffiths 1854). "2nd
son of Rice
Meredith of Reary Valley
= Elizabeth Wilson, dau. of Wm. Wilson Esq, of Gloucester Place, Liverpool, ". 21/6/1843 at Everton
(N. Reddan). Marr. cert © establishes that both were resident at Gloucester Place at the time of the
marriage; Wm. Wilson was a cattle broker; Charles was a (gentleman?) farmer*; marriage was carried
out by Chas’ brother, Rev. J(oseph) B. Meredith, in St George’s Church, Everton, Parish of Walton on the
Hill, Lancaster (sic).(source: KW). (marriage announcement in the Nenagh Guardian, 30/6/1843, says
Rev J. was “of Parr’s Chapel, Saint Helen’s”.)
At the time of his marriage in 1843, Charles’ residence and farm was Coolville House. (It was built
in 1776 and appears in the “National Inventory of Architectural Interest”). The whole property, together
with the impressive contents, were sold at public auction in 1872 – source: notice of sale, Freeman’s
Journal, Oct 19, p.8 © Why did Charles sell everything, so long before his death?
Charles died 7/6/1886 (Irish Times), aged 79.
children: (at least the following)
Charles William Rice (d. 9/3/1916, by tram accident, Dublin, age 55, widower, lived at 19
Goldsmith St. – Irish Times ). His 3 children mentioned in 1911 Census –Aiden Wilson [b.1909; d.
1928], Eithne [b.1907), Josephine Grace [b. ?]). He was the black sheep of the family and at one
point was taken to court by his father. A court record states he is a ‘lunatic’. © He married three
times.
Charlotte Alicia, d. in ? = William Robert Harte, 10/7/1880, in Durban, South Africa. © (This
was his seond marriage. His first was in 1869, at Rosenallis, to Susan Harriette Meredith ©,
Charlotte’s first cousin and the daughter of William of Derrylough – see below). Harte died in
1890 (where?)
Emily Constance, died 6/2/1876), 19 years (gravestone & newspaper announcement);
Josephine (1849-1871) died age 22, (gravestone);
Mary (1852-1873), died age 21.
Elizabeth Bailey Baldwin, 14/10.1884, bur. Rosenallis. (name as per newspaper death notice)
Florence Kathleen, abt. 1872 - 1945. She married (and divorced) Digby Manfred FFrench,
Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians, Ireland. They lived in Suffolk and had six children (4
boys - Digby, Desmond, Cyril, Nigel; two girls, Vera Adelaide & Vivyen Florence).
* On page 20, of volume 20 of the 1845 report on “The Law and Practice in respect of the
occupation of land in Ireland; Minutes of Evidence”, Charles Meredith Esq, Coolville,
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is shown as having presented a motion against the agriculture tariff which he argued
reduced the value of agricultural production.
Phil(l)ip (3rd
son; aged 9 in 1818 – same source as that for his brother John, above).
=(1) Isabella Bailey (Cappalough, Castelbrack) on 14/4/1849, Rosenallis. (MLB, RCB, LDS and
Freeman's Journal), dau of Christopher, J.P. "of Cappalanne in the parish of Castlebrack". Witness,Thomas
Bailey. Children: Joseph (1848-1886). Isabella ("of Reary Valley") buried 13/4/1852, aged 32 (35?),
Mountmellick parish. (C.of I. parish reg., N.A., by K. W.)
=(2) Gertrude Meredith in 1853 (her parents, Anne and Joseph of Reary More). Their children:
Philip Edward (b. 30/11/'54. Acc. to 1901 census, he married Eva - 24 at census and born in England; by
then they had daus. Frances and Joan.); Joseph Henry (b.15/8/’57); Anna Frances (b. 12/3/'59). The
1911 census shows her aged 46, single, living at 92.3 Lower Leeson St, Dublin, living from “interest of
Money”; Rice (b.20/5/'62. d.1901). (sources; E.M., & baptism info re the 4 children is from Clonaslee
parish reg., N.A, by K.W.. 1901 census fr. B.W.). Gertrude died in 1914, 93 yrs. (EM & PMK).
This may have been the Philip Meredith who, in 1838, was found by a Protestant jury ‘not guilty’ of
the murder of a Roman Catholic in the aftermath of elections of August 11, 1837. The report of the trial
© which appeared in the Freeman’s Journal of March 20, 1838 locates the action close to Rosenallis,
refers to Philip as “a young man”, names his brother William and refers to his (unnamed) father as a”
respectable local landholder”. (The news item was seen by me at the British Library’s newspaper section
in Colindale, London and posted to the Meredith site by KW).
There is a gravestone at Rosenallis which refers to Philip E. and some of his family: “Erected by P.E.
Meredith in fond and everlasting memory of his brother Joseph Meredith, died Reary Valley, April 1886,
age 38 years….Here also lies the body of Thomas Meredith…died 10 July, 1840 and Rice Meredith of
Reary More 11th
April 1901, age 38 years. Also Gertrude Meredith…died 8 July(?) 1914, aged 93”.
William (later of Derrylough, Townland of Meelick) b. 19/7/1812, Rosenallis (RCB)
= Anna Hoyste(a)d, of Waterstown in 1846. He died 31/8/1879, Derrylough (as per will in N.A.).
A t least 7 children, all born at Derrylough and baptised in Rosenallis (RCB):
- John Baldwin Hoysted (1846-1942), mar. ??
- Susan Hariette (b.1847) = Wm. Robert Herod Harte of Water Castle, Abbeyleix (30/9/1869,
Rosenallis, RCB).© Harte was bapt.in 1840, at Durrow (probably Queen's) (in Rathdowney, 14
Sept. 1841?) and emigrated to South Africa where he was Curator of Pietermartizburg Botanical
Gardens or Warden of ? Prison? His second marriage, which occurred in South Africa, was to his
first wife's cousin, Charlotte Alicia Meredith – see above).
- Caroline Elizabeth (b.1848); = Frederick Charles Biggar, 1875.
- Rice (bapt between 11/1849 & 9/50) = Eveline Margaret Johnson, in Dublin, on June 8,1881. ©
Rice, identified as ‘farmer’ in his marriage cert., was a trainer of race horses. His death
(29/12/1897: B.H.) was reported in the sports section of The Times on 31/12/1897, (11)
(K.W.).
Eveline Meredith d. 27/1/ 1883, at Derrylough, Mountmellick District (K.W., from BMD index, and
B.H.). Rice sold Derrylough to the Deverell family in 1889 (SH & Valuation office) and moved to
Curragh, Kildare (KW). (A son, Evelyn Rice, born at Derrylough, 21/1/1883, became known as
Edward Stanley, either before or during his removal to Canada. His wife was Annie Madelaine
Brooks. They lived in Lethbridge, Alta. A driver, he died, "from disease" during WW1, at age 30, on
Jan. 6, 1916, (BH says 1915) regimental # 87208. Buried Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Kent, U.K.
(source: "Members.. of the CEF…"). He had previously served 14 mos. in South Africa. Both names
(Evelyn Rice & Edward Stanley) appear in various records. Mystery cleared up in writing
(13/12/2004) by NAC in response to a request from PMK, through a comparison of war grave
records of Canadian army and of Commonwealth War Graves Commission) (S.H. has discovered
the obits of wife Annie and her two sons and has made contact with a grand-dau., B.H., who was
living in Calgary in May, 2005).
- William (b.1851-3. = Camille Higgin, 3 children. “of Ballycristal, King's Co., deed #1879-55-
116", K.W.)
- Elizabeth Baldwin ( b 1853/4). = Michael Joseph O’Brien
- Annie J. (b. 1859, although virtually illegible). d. 7/10/1885 (from probate) (SH & KW)
Joseph H.B., Rev. Obit in Cork Examiner of April 6,1865, as reproduced on Tiara web site in 8/04 reads
" On the 28th ult., south of France, where he resided for the benefit of his health, in the 48
th year of his
age, the Rev. Joseph H.B. Meredith, fifth son of the late Rice Meredith, Esq., of Rarey Valley, Queen's
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County." So, born 1818 or'19. Also, see Alumni Dublinenses re probably his B.A in 1841. (PMK: but
why shown there as from King's Co? was he occupying some of his father's property in that county?)
Edward, of Reary, buried 29 Sept. 1827, Rosenallis (RCB – pmk, 2001); (filiation not proven but likely)
Charlotte Alicia ' of Rearyvale' (RCB). (NMC says Charlotte. The Marler biography, family records of M
H-E and the Howard pedigree by G.T. Howard [GTH] all say Charlotte Alicia. (A brother of I.G., New
Zealand, owns a portrait of Charlotte Alicia, a photo of which is on my file “Supporting documents”. ©)
Born : August 18, 1816. Died: January, 1871 (so +/- 55 years of age)
(sources: both from original manuscript records in hands of M H-É).©
Charlotte was an Anglican and was buried in the Anglican graveyard in St Jean. The
stone, of which we have a photo, thanks to M É., is now in La Cimetière St Jean. ©
= (Dr.) Henry Howard, on May 12, 1840, by license, at Clonaslee (Queen’s Co), solemnized by Rev.
Baldwin, Charlotte’s uncle, in the presence of Joseph B. Meredith (presumably Charlotte’s brother,
see below) and of Henry’s brother, Frederick. (source, transcribed at RCB by PMK). Also recorded
in the Nenagh Guardian of May 16, p.3. ©, which says it took place in the Church of Clonaslie (sic)
“by the Rev. John Baldwin, uncle to the bride” and refers to “Henry Howard Esq., Surgeon and
Medical Superintendant of the Drumshambo Dispensary”. Charlotte Alicia is identified as the
“third daughter of Rice Meredith Esq., of Reary Valley, Queen’s County”. A similar notice
appeared in the Leinster Express of May 16. It identifies Henry as “third son of Captain Howard,
Sub-Inspector of Constabulary, Carrick-on-Shannon”.©
Henry Howard was born 1/12/15, in Nenagh, Tipperary. (The ‘American Bios’ site
erroneously says “in Antrim”, but G.T.H. and M. H-E’s original manuscript family
record both state Nenagh). He died in Montreal, 12/10/1887 (“at his residence, 96
University St.”) and was buried in St Johns, Québec. (today’s St Jean- sur-Richelieu).
“His descendants living in 1933 in Montreal” (NMC). Henry converted to Roman
Catholocism at some point during stay in Canada and was buried a Catholic.
Thanks to M.É-H. we have a photo of his gravestone. ©
His parents were Phoebe Cantrell (of Nenagh) and Lieutenant Thomas Howard,
31st Foot (of Shinrone, King’s Co.), the eldest of five brothers. Thomas retired from
the army in 1816, was appointed Sub-Inspector of the Irish Constabulary and died in
Carrick-on-Shannon in 1840 (M H-É).
Charlotte & Henry had ten children.
- More information about the children and about the Howard family (12)
Harietta (Harriet in LDS index), minor, of Rearyvalley, father Rice, gentleman
= Philip Jackson Welsh on 30 June 1846 in Clonaslee parish church. He is "full age, bachelor, Clerk
in the Bank of Ireland, no. 31 (illegible) Parade, Dublin; father James Welsh, solicitor" (KW from LDS)
Caroline Elizabeth "of Derrylough" = Charles William Carruthers, "widower, of Clontarf, Co.
Dublin on June 12th
1861"(Rosenallis parish register: RCB). The Cork Examiner 18/6/61, as
transcribed from "Irish Newspapers" web site in 2004, reads " June 12, Charles W. Carruthers, Esq, of
the Crescent, Clontarf, to Caroline Elizabeth, daughter of the late Rice Meredith, Esq., of
Barevalley(sic), in the Queen's County". ( pmk note: some work to be done in sorting out the
circumstances of the apparent move of at least some members of this family from Rarey Valley to
Derrylough).
Elizabeth (Along with Mary, she is among those children named in deed #1849-9-273 (13)
Mary (see preceding entry). She died in Dublin in 1855 and is identified as the “second eldest
daughter of Rice Meredith of Queen’s”. ©
- OTHER children?
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ADDENDUM #3: LAND UNITS & SOME PLACES
PROVINCES (see map in file Meredith “Supporting documents…”) The four provinces of Ireland - Connaught, Leinster, Munster and Ulster – did not assume their current form until well into
the 17th
century.
Queen’s County (now Laois) is in Leinster Province, as is neighbouring King’s County (now Offaly). Both are on
the western edge of the province. The Barrow river, which runs by Rearymore, rises in the Slieve Bloom ‘mountains’ of
Queen’s and flows south where it joins the Suir and the Nore before these “three sisters” reach the sea by Waterford.
Tipperary, also adjacent to Queen’s, is in the Province of Munster.
BARONIES (see map in Meredith “Supporting documents…”)
A barony is made up of several civil parishes or parts of civil parishes and regularly cross the boundaries of both. Some
records, such as the Griffith's Valuation and the Registry of Deeds are arranged by barony. There are 11 baronies in Queen’s
County:
Rearymore and Rosenallis are in Tinnahich Barony.
PARISHES (see map in Meredith “Supporting documents…”)
Church parishes are (were?) not the same as civil parishes in Ireland. The civil parish was an important administrative unit
used for land and taxation purposes. Many Irish records used in genealogy are arranged by civil parish, such as the Tithe
Applotments. There are 53 civil parishes in Queen’s Co. The Church of Ireland (i.e. Anglican) parish boundaries are mostly
the same as the civil parish boundaries; the RC parishes may include more than one civil parish or just parts of civil
parishes.(When looking for BMD and other church records one needs the name of the Parish and then of the Townland - see
below). The two churches have separate diocesan systems and some records prior to 1858 were under the jurisdiction of the
diocese, such as wills and marriage licenses.
-The Meredith from Rearymore (house) Reary Valley (house) are from Rerymore and Rosenallis Civil Parishes,
respectively.
-There were many allied Merediths in nearby Clonenagh & Clonagheen Civil Parish.
TOWNLANDS
The ‘Townland’ is the smallest official geographical unit in Ireland. It is a surveyed piece of ground that might not even
have people living within its boundaries. The size of townlands varies from a few acres to several thousand acres.
- ‘Our’ line of Merediths from Queen’s County started in Rearymore (Civil Parish and Townland) and moved to a
nearby Reary Valley (aka Clonygark), in Rosenallis Civil Parish.
- Cappagh Townland, some miles from Reary, was a main centre for many of the Clonenagh Merediths.
TOWNS
In Ireland towns are not Townlands, and some towns can be found within one or more townlands. The pre-1921 name of the
town should be used when looking at records from before that date.
POOR LAW UNIONS
Under the Poor Law Act of 1838, Ireland was divided into unions of townlands whose residents were responsible for the
welfare of the poor of their area. The name of the union, which crossed parish boundaries, was the same as the town where
the workhouse for the poor was located.
Both Rearymore and Reary valley are in Mountmellick P.L.U.
SOME PLACES
Rearymore - A civil parish, a Townland and a house. The house is still there; it bears an inscription dated
1771, probably on the expansion of the building by Matthew Meredith.
Reary Valley (Reryvale) – a Townland and house. The house, the first Meredith occupant of which was Rice,
burned to the ground in the 1930s. Also known as Clonygark.
Mountmellick - partly in Coolbanagher parish, but mainly in Rosenallis. Some Quakers settled in 1659.
Portarlington – borough market and postal town: partly in Clonehorke Parish, King’s County (Offaly)
but mainly in Lea parish, Queen’s Co.
Maryborough (now Portaloais) – the county town. A Huguenot group found refuge here in 1666.
Aughrim – in Galway. Frances Warburton (= Charles Coote Meredith) was from here
Garryhinch – in King’s County (Offaly). A Warburton branch was from here, though not, as erroneously stated by
Nancy Meredith Clarke, Frances’ branch.
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FOOTNOTES
(1) “The ancient territory of Leix was turned into a county during the reign of Mary of England, and named in her
honour the Queen’s County, but now it has reverted to the dignity of its native name. That name is derived from the
Ulster (a name written in Gaelic script) who threw the rieving Munstermen out of Ossory at the beginning of the
second century, and, for that service, was granted, by the King of Leinster, the territory which now bears part of his
name. His descendants, the O’Moores, inherited from him not only these lands, but also the tribal name of Laoighis,
and so the region became known as the lands of the Descendants of Laoighis, anglicised Leix and pronounced in
English phonetics: Leesh”. …whilst there are no lakes in Leix, the Barrow rises, and the Nore gathers most of its
water, within the county ”. (from, “This is Ireland: Leinster and the City of Dublin”, by Richard Hayward, 1949,
page 156, pub. by Arthur Barker Ltd., London).
Portlaoise is the principal town of the county. Laois is the only county - of 32 - with no English translation of its
name. It is also, as every local schoolchild could once rattle off, 'the only county in Ireland that touches a county
that doesn’t touch the sea’. The town grew up around a fort established by English settlers in 1548. This happened
half a century before the founding of Jamestown, Virginia - which marked the beginning of English colonisation of
America - so, without any exaggeration, it can be claimed that our town was the birthplace of the British Empire!
(2) Nancy Meredith Clark (NMC) of St. Catharines, Ontario was the dau of Frances (Wyly) Clark and a descendant of
Nancy (Anne) Meredith, a dau. of Charles's first marriage. Nancy Meredith Clark died in 1937.
NMC had stayed in touch with one of my Montreal aunts, as a result of which I have in my possession a copy of
her typescript Meredith pedigree notes, apparently prepared between 1930 and 1933. In addition, she prepared (and
I have) her transcription of some journal entries by Frances Wyly who emigrated to N.A. in 1848 with her young
aunt, Jane Meredith, as well as brief biographical notes about a few members of the Wyly and Warburton families. I
also have some of her correspondence with an English Warburton of the Garryhinch line. It has since been
established that Frances Warburton was,instead, from Aughrin, perhaps a collateral line.
Though a rich source of information about ‘our’ Meredith family, NMC’s texts are neither complete nor
always correct. Considerable care has to be taken with certain segments of the information, often due to rather
peculiar styles of page lay out . It should be noted that NMC notes do not cite sources for her BMD dates, though I
have been able to confirm many with RCB records. Her sources are not identified, though we know that a number of
Merediths were living in Quebec and Ontario in her time and that some of the BMD events she claims are confirmed
by newspaper clippings, some of which I have. I suspect there may have been a family bible somewhere, but have no
news of it.
The long and short of it is that without NMC’s texts I would not have known how to get started. On the
other hand, a considerable amount of work was required to confirm (and sometimes to infirm) her various
claims. Her documents are sometimes in error, sometimes misleading; the most serious example of the latter is
the apparent discrepancy between her listing of Charles’ children by Frances and Kate, which appears on page
1 of her text and the listing of some of these names under Bartholomew Meredith on page 2. Contributions by
members of the Meredith on-line research group helped in producing the results presented her.
In the present document, all text in ordinary type comes from these texts prepared by Nancy Clark;
everything in italics was added by me.
(3) Sir Charles Coote (c.1641?-1672), 2nd Earl of Mountrath, was married with Alice Meredith (c. 1668), eldest
daughter of Sir Robert Meredith (c. 1590-1668), Chancellor of the Exchequer and son of Richard the Bishop and
his wife Anne Ussher (c.1614-1669). Charles and Alice had a son Charles Coote (c.1655-1709), 3rd Earl of
Mountrath. Mountrath (Moynrath) is in Clonenagh, a parish adjacent to Rosenallis and close to Rearymore. The Electors List for 1833 show a Sir Charles H. Coote, bart as one who granted a rentcharge in relation to
two properties called “Ringstown” in Queen’s County, the objects of which were Robert Coote and Ralph Coote.
(Source: “Return of Number of Persons registered as Electors in each County in Ireland by virtue of Rentcharges,
1832-35”, seen on website of Southampton University in 7/2009. Part of the collection in their Hartley Library).
(4) The birth record for this Rice has not yet been found. The only RCB Rosenallis birth record for a Rice Meredith in
these times was that of the baptism on Feb 26, 1810 of a son of Joseph and Anne Meredith. We know, however, that
he was a different Rice because (see SH & K.W.) this Rice who was baptized in 1810 died in Queen's in 1885 & was
a Clonenagh Meredith.
(5) Amelia's parents were Thomas (shopkeeper, d. 1853) and Elizabeth Lindsay (d. 12 June 1846, in the fire at St-Louis
Theatre, Quebec City, along with one of her children and 44 other theatre goers). From the 1871 census (Ingersoll,
Ont) which lists Amelia as having been born in Ireland, we assume that Thomas and Eliz. emigrated from Ireland
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after at least some of the children had been born. They had 7 children (source: L.N., based on Anglican records at
Laval University, Quebec).
(6) There was a number of other Queen’s Co. Merediths in Brooklyn at about the same time. Some, three of whom were
Methodist pastors, were the sons of Richard (d. 1850) & Ann (Green) of Cappagh. (KW). There appear also to have
been a Thomas and an Irving, also of Cappagh. What, if any, were the connections between these various families
has not to this point been elucidated.
(7) - For greater detail on the marriage and on the move to Arnprior, see Bell pedigree.
- There were other Irish Meredith families in the Ottawa Valley at the time Kate (Meredith) Bell was living
in Arnprior, but it appears these others had emigrated from Sligo and there is no known link to Kate.
(8) Uncertainty re identities of 2 Rices of Reary Valley:
One Rice Meredith, of Clonegark (aka Reary Valley) died 1800 or 1801(sources: N.A. - Index to Prerogative Wills
1536-1810 and the Administration Index of the Prerogative Office, 1595-1810. Both entries for Rice are 1801).
Unfortunately, Betham's abstracts go only to 1800! 1801 is probably the date of Probate.
Another Rice Meredith (also of Reary Valley) was buried on 11/7/1817, aged 79, at St Brigid's, Rosenallis
(gravestone seen by E.M.) I would guess that it was he, born therefore in 1738/39, who was the father of Charles
Coote Meredith.
(A yet earlier Rice, quite possibly an ancestor of ours, is listed in the Arklow Money Rolls, Wicklow, in 1669
[K.W.] See also Addendum 1).
(9) This is the John “of Clara Hill” * who died in Prescott, Ontario ** one of whose sons was Thomas Greene
Meredith, also born in Ireland, who married Jane Dinsdale, spinster, on 8/4/1837, in St John’s Church, Prescott,
Diocese of Toronto, “by license”.© Jane signed with her mark; Thomas signed (clearly) his middle name “Greene”.
(Also see their marriage bond, dated 8/4/1837; on-line from National Archives, Ottawa. They both lived in Prescott,
Upper Canada at the time of that bond). The following was advanced by Ellen in 9/09: “ John Meredith of Clara Hill
had a son Thomas Green Meredith who married Jane Dinsdale, and a sister Primrose who married William
Green(e)”at Rosenallis in 1802 (RCB).
Thomas and Jane appear to have had three daughters, two of whom were named Louisa Calcutt:(i) One
Louisa Calcutt Meredith “aged -blank” was interred in St Peter’s Church, 28/7/date?, Brockville © (ii)
Henrietta Allen, was born 5/5/1839, and bapt. in St Augusta Parish on 13/1/1840. ©. The bapt. cert indicates
the family’s “abode” Prescott and that Thomas was a “joiner”. (iii) a second Louisa Calcutt was born
6/9/1845, bapt. 19/8/1849 ©. On 28/71865 she was married in Hamilton, Canada West, "daughter of the late
Thomas Green (sic) Meredith, formerly of Clara Hill, Queens' County, Ireland" to Frederick Ollard of
Brockville. (Rev. George A. Bull was brother of the husband of Charity Meredith, dau. of Charles and
Frances). The three events were copied to me, with some detail missing, by the archives of the Duiocese of
Kingston. The quotation concering Thomas comes from an undated newspaper clipping that had belonged to
Kathrine ('Kate') Meredith, youngest child of Katharine and Charles. (Note: NC does not specify 'Greene',
only G. Although there was a Thomas Graves Meredith in the London, Ont. area, family newspaper
clippings from 'our' line make it pretty clear that NMC meant 'Greene' and evidence from other sources shows
that the name Graves was connected to a branch of the Dublin Merediths which later appeared in London,
Ont.)
* Clarahill (sic) is a 301 acre townland in Rearymore civil parish (C of I parish is Clonaslee). In
1814, Clara Hill appeared in a book, "Places of Note", as the residence of John Meredith Esq.(i.e.
John, son of Mathew and father of Thomas Greene).
** “At Prescott, on the 9th
instant, John, youngest son of the late Matthew Meredith of Rary More,
Queen’s County, Ireland”. (Kingston Chronicle & Gazette, 21 December 1836, page 3, col 1.)
Death also reported in a Limerick newspaper in early 1837.
Some other descendants of Matthew Meredith and Lewisa (née Calcutt ) also came to Canada and can be
identified in E.M.’s pedigree of that family. One of these was “Henrietta, 3rd
daughter of the late John
Meredith of Clara Hill,” who married David Mair of Prescott (Ont.) on 2/9/1848 in the “English Church.”©
They had one daughter, Charlotte, who married John McLennan of Montreal (© This is from an undated
press clipping; it mentions that Charlotte’s father was no longer living at the time of the marriage). .
(10) This matter of place names is difficult. Referring to the Barony of Tinnahinch in the IreAtlas Townlands data base,
one can see that Reary More (585 acres) is only one of 27 townlands in the Civil Parish of Rearymore(sic)> It is
also a house. Rearyvalley is a townland in the civil parish of Rearymore; Derrylough is not a townland (its
townland is Meelick) but is also in the civil parish of Rearymore. When a document says Reary Valley, we know it
is the townland or, possibly, a house. But when the reference is to Rearymore, the choice is between civil parish,
townland or the housewhich bears that name. This is further complicated by the fact that RCB and some other
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references are often just to 'Reary' or 'Rery'. It is entirely possible there may have been more than one Meredith
family in a given townland, such as Rearymore, and we know that there were many Meredith households in the civil
parish. This sort of problem suggests we should be careful when it comes to choosing between apparently conflicting
place attributions (though some day we may unearth some conventions in this regard. Perhaps the different
spellings provide a clue to which entity is being named…? For instance, Rearymore, in one word, appears
invariably to be the parish while Reary More, two words, is most often the townland or the house.
(11) "Mr. Rice Meredith, a well known trainer of racehorses, died somewhat suddenly, on Wednesday night, at his
residence, the Rath, Kilsallaghan, County Dublin. He fractured his leg recently in the hunting field and never
recovered the shock to his system. As a trainer he was very successful, some of his horses passing from his stables
having won the principal races in Ireland and a few of the not least important in England."
(12) Howard family
There is a fair amount of material available about this family, most of it relating to Dr. Henry Howard. Much of it,
including an article about Henry on “The Dictionary of Canadian Biography On-Line”, may be found on my
computer file, ‘Supporting Documents’. Ancestry.ca displays several BMD and census results for the family. The
other main sources I have come across are: - “Seven Centuries: the Story of one Family Howard…”, by Gordon T. Howard, 1988, Price -
Patterson, Montreal. (There is a copy at the National Archives, Ottawa). - “History of the Howard family as Henry Howard, M.D. remembers it.” (4-page transcription
of the original).
According to G.T.H., Henry’s parents were Lieutenant Thomas Howard (of Shinrone, Barony of Clonlisk,
Kings Co.) and Phoebe Cantrell (of Roscrea) and that his siblings were:
- Robert b. 1810, Shinrone. = Sarah Harris* Meredith, (Montreal, 7/4/1832; witnesses, Wm. Green and Wm
Carre). Sarah is described by GTH as a cousin of Henry’s wife, Charlotte Alicia Meredith. (pmk note: She
was a daughter of Matthew’s son John, of Clara Hill - see pedigree by Ellen Meredith). Robert and Sarah
had no children. She died in 1851 & her tomb is in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal – source: M. É-H.).
* see ‘Supporting Documents’ (in Meredith, under Howard) for info re the Harris name
- Eliza. b 1812 at Shinrone. d. Montreal 1882. unmarried
- John Palmer, b. 1814, Dublin Barracks
- Henry, b.1815 – see below
- Frederick b. 1818 at Clogjordan, seven miles from Shinrone. Moved to Montreal in 1842
= (probably) Anne Emily Gordon, 24/5/1850, Amherst Island. (source. E Bowler 6/2011)
The 1871 census (St Jean) shows, “Occuupation, Matron”, age 40, with children George 19,
Frederick 17,Thomas 15, Phebe 14, Eliza 13.
The 1881 Census showed her, a widow, age 50, in Montreal, living in the household of Dr. Henry
Howard.©
Their son, Frederick William, 22, merchant, born in Montreal, married Angeline Maria Hosey of
Napanee, on 3/1/1876 , in Napanee. (Lennox & Addington County marriage registrations; #5800,1876).
- Phoebe Jane b. 1820, Clogjordan (= Wm. Richard Wright of Ottawa, in 1844) d. Ottawa 1892
- William Henderson b. 1820, Shinrone. Moved to the Canadas in 1842. Ended up in Montreal.
Unmarried.
- Thomas b. 15/9/1826, Shinrone. Moved to the Canadas in 1842 with bros. Henry, Frederick and
William. Thomas married Gertrude Sophia David in 1861. d. in Montreal, 1898. The Montreal census for
1871 shows him a Master Mariner, born in Ireland. Had 5 children (Fitwilliam, Charles, Sidney Percival,
Gertrude, Thomas P.).
- Frances Catherine b. 1818, Shinrone. died in infancy.
Henry & Charlotte - chronology
- 1838 Medical degree from Dublin.
- 1840 M.D., M.R.C.S. (Royal College of Surgeons, London)
Marriage to Charlotte A. Meredith, in Ireland. Practices medicine in Drumshambo, Leitrim
- 1842 family (Henry Charlotte, & first child, Cherry) emigrate to Canada West. Settled on Amherst Island, just
off Kingston, which had been bought by the Earl of Mount Cashel, in 1835. Contemporary family notes (M É-H)
say he went to Amherst Island as doctor to the estate of the Earl of Mount Cashel and that he brought with him to
Canada, three brothers – Fred, William. and Tom. Henry and Charlotte may have moved to Kingston at some
point before 1845)
- 1845 to1861, they lived in Montreal. Henry began to develop a reputation for excellence in opthalmolgy.
- 1861 to 1875, Henry was Medical Superintendant of the insane asylum at St Johns, Quebec. (now St- Jean-sur-
Richelieu). Charlotte died in 1871 and was buried there. See below for 1861 & 1871 censuses
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- 1875 to 1887. In 1875 the patients from the St Jean asylum were transferred to l’Hôpital Louis- Hippolyte-
Lafontaine, at Longue Pointe, Montreal.(Hospice St Jean de Dieu). Henry moved to Montreal and worked at
Longue Pointe until 1887. During this period he served as visiting physician to Louis Riel, before Riel’s trial.
(His relations with the Sisters were sometimes strained, one example being their differing views on the
application of a vaccination programme against smallpox. According to the bio. of Louis Riel in “Canadian
Biography Online”, Dr. Howard was “attending physician” to Louis Riel when he was in that hospital. Riel
referred favourably to Howard during his trial and Howard appears to have been the only medical authority who
felt that Riel was not mentally ill). Henry died 12/10/1887 in Montreal and was buried in StJean
Henry became a successful and well-known doctor who was first styled “surgeon” but who became better
known as an ophthalmologist and as an expert in mental health. The article on Henry in the ‘Dictionary of Canadian
Biography On-Line’ contains a lot of information on his career. He wrote two medical books, one on opthalmology
and one on mental illness and the criminal mind.
In his opthamology book, published in 1850 and titled “The Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology of the Eye”,
he claimed that in 1843 he had managed to restore the sight of the famous explorer, David Thomson. In 1886 his
article, “Histoire médicale de Louis David Riel,” appeared in L’Étendard of July 13.
One interesting sidelight is his conversion to Catholicism, apparently in order to facilitate his relations with the
Sisters at Longue Pointe. Charlotte and most of the children remained Anglican but the last two children were baptized
R.C.
Henry was photographed by Notman in 1874 (’79?) (see site of McCord Museum, Montreal).
Charlotte and Henry had 10 children. (This number is stated by Dr Henry in the transcription by his son Thomas of
a document written by Dr. Henry and typed up as “History of the Howard family as Henry Howard remembers it”).
I have been able to account for nine.
1861 census © shows the family living in Montreal, at 132 Craig St.© It shows the parents and 8 children * and
states that all family members are accounted for. Age is shown as that of “next birthday”.
The census was taken on Sunday, 13/1/1861.
Henry – surgeon, b. in Ireland, Catholic, 46 (“personal estate”, $2,500)
Charlotte – wife, b. in Ireland, Anglican, 45
Cherrie – dau., b. in Ireland, Anglican, 20
Other mentions:
1868 - Cherrie Eliz. Mary = Dr. Charles Frederick Tracy at St John’s, P.Q. on
15/8/1868. Tracy is a “Staff Assistant Surgeon”, son of Deacon Tracy of Pievelltown (?)
House, Waterford. © (source for marriage: Cork Examiner, 17/8/1868, page 4)
Other mentions of Tracy: (seen by Madeleine Égré-Howard on a Waterford site)
1858 – Dublin Hospital Gazette. Maurice Charles Frederick, of Pilltown, County
Waterford, appears on “a list ( of the Royal College of Surgeons) of gentlemen who
obtained the diploma in the previous year”. (another source states it was awarded in 1858)
1859 - A Maurice Tracey (sic) was appointed to Canterbury Station , Army Medical Dept.,
Cape of Good Hope.
1863 – Maurice Tracey (sic), who was commissioned on 20th
April, 1859, was named Ass’t
Surgeon , staff, 21st Foot (?)
Phebe (sic) –dau., b. in Canada, Anglican, 19.
Thomas **– son, b. in Canada, Anglican, 16 leads to M. E-H via Thos’ son Thomas.
Other mentions:
- born 2/6/1845, Kingston (source: Can. Parl. Companion… 1878)©
- married Myra Walters Dyde in Montreal, Christ Church Cathedral, 14/4/1868.
1891 census, shows them in Winnipeg , Thomas 43, insurance agent; Myra W. 40. Five
children: Thomas, 20; Tracy 17; Rob’t F.M. (Henry Frederick Meredith, source M E-H)
12; Myra W. 10; Cherry 5. Another son (?) Henry Frederick Meredith Howard was
baptized in 1869; Charlotte Howard was a witness.
Rice (Meredith) – son, b. in Canada, Anglican, 14 leads to I.G. via Rice’s son, Louis M. *** Josephine – dau., b. in Canada, Anglican, 12
Robert – son, b. in Canada, Anglican, 10 (graduated M.D. McGill. 1874)
Mary – dau., b. in Canada, R.C., 5
Frederick (Wm. John) – son, b. in Canada, R.C. 3 (b. 1858, d.1869, died age 11) ©
and two servants
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* Eliza Ross Howard, (R.C.) was buried in Montreal on 22/7/54 age 18 mos. Her burial certificate
names her parents and identifies Dr. Henry as an “oculist”
Who was the missing (10th) child? Was there a Sarah?
** Was Capt. & Paymaster of the Red River Expeditionary Force, 1870.; Sec’y of the Board of Health for
Manitoba & NWT; Member of Exec. Council , Jan 1871- July 1874; in succession,Minister of Public Works,
Provincial Secretary and Provincial Treasurer. Sat for St Peters . A Conservative. (Can Parliamentary
Companion & Annual Register, 1878). *** Rice M. married Louisa Wynard Hurd. The 1881 census shows the family of Rice M. Howard and wife Louise
M., living in Winnipeg. He is a lawyer, 32, born in P.Q., Louise is 25, b. in Ontario. Two children are shown:
Louis M. (4 yrs) and Rice W.(2 yrs.). Another son, Sedley Richard , b. abt 1885, served in the 1st Battalion
Lancashire Fusiliers in Multan, Punjab. Louisa , widow, died in Tankerton, Kent on 22/9/1937; her will
names her son Sidney Richmond Howard, “philatelist”.
A descendant of this family sent a note in 10/2012 to the Meredith list which identified another child of
Rice and Louisa, viz. Paul. He married Marion Agnes Haynes in Vancouver 23/8/1913, St Paul’s
Church. (Marion was born in Teddington, England and emigrated to Canada with three siblings in
1911). Paul was invalided out of WW 1 in May 1918. After a brief return stay in Canada, they moved
to the U.K. Paul died in 1932 in Cardiff, age 32, and Marion died in 1968, age 80, in Brecknoclshire.
They had a t least one child, Betty.
1871 census © shows the family in St John’s, Quebec (St Jean- sur-Richelieu).
Census began on April 2 and census intended to reflect data which applied on that date, no matter what the date
of the actual census visit. The family lived in rue St Jacques, near the Anglican Church.
Henry 55 Catholic Supt . I. Asylum widower origin: Irish
Rice 23 Episcopalian student in law “
Josephine 22 “ “
Robert 20 “ medical student “
Mary 15 Catholic “
Plus one female servant
SOURCES
Individulas – removed from this version
Institutions and web sources
Alumni Dublinenses: List of graduates of Trinity College Dublin from earliest days to 19th
C.
BMD index: A compilation prepared by KW of Meredith BMD from the Irish civil registration indexes "for
selected years since compulsory registration began".
Betham: Abstracts of Wills, prepared by Sir W. Betham (originals at National Archives, Dublin). In 2003, PMK
consulted all Meredith entries and e-mailed them to Meredith researchers. Others have since added further
information.
Deputy Keeper: reference is to an Index that was originally published in 1895 as an Appendix to the 26 th
Report of
the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records and Keeper of the State Papers in Ireland, as seen on "otherdays.com" by
Keith Winters in 2005. As well as the entries for Bartholomew Elliott =Anne, Jane= John Wyly and Charles=Lucy,
the names Richard Meredith (2 for 1829 and one for 1855), Thomas Meredith (1832), and Mary (1840) also appear.
Charles Coote Meredith had children of these names and we know he had moved to Dublin no later than 1845 and
possibly earlier, as he married Lucy in Dublin in 1834. N.M.C. says that Charles had four other children, not
recorded in her notes … possible that some of the other marriage entries might relate?
GOMS Genealogy Office (manuscript) at the National Library of Ireland (NLI), Kildare Street, Dublin. They have
an 1840' ish pedigree, unauthenicated and containing some obvious errors, of parts of 'our' Meredith family, going
back to the father of Bishop Richard and his brother John. The reference is:
Pos 8305/ Reel#975/ GOMS 174/pp64-65.
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Griffith's: Griffith's Valuation of Ireland 1848-1864. Dates of valuation differ, county by county.
Harte: a chart of the Harte family, copied to PMK by Joyce and Roy Meredith , of Derrylough. It contains various
Meredith references.
IERPS (Irish emigration Research Project), which has recorded and placed on the net many years of Irish and UK
emigration to North America via six east coast ports, incl New York. PMK found at least one entry which was
incomplete.
IGI ‘International Genealogical index’, a segment of the LDS records (see LDS, below). IGI contains both
‘extracts’ ( which are purported to have been read directly off the original records or transcriptions thereof, by
someone ‘authorised’ by LDS) and ‘submissions’ (which come from anyone who wishes to add to the record but
who is not obliged to identify the source - caveat emptor).
MCSJ a compilation of BMD for the County of Saint John's, Quebec ( now St Jean- sur-Richelieu), "Mariages du
Comté de Saint-Jean" & "Complément de mariages du Comté de Saint-Jean, 1757-1989", which I consulted in '05
at the public library and family history centre in St Jean.
LDS Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and their genealogy web site.
MerArchives: Site organized and maintained by K.W. & S.H. and carrying many reference documents, charts and
reflexions on the family's history.
Marler Biography: "MARLER - Four Generations of a Quebec Family", by Howard Marler. (1987, Literary and
Historical Society of Quebec. Price-Patterson Ltd, Montreal). PMK owns a copy.
"Members and former members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force who died as a result of Service in the
Great war 1914-1919": compiled and edited by Edward H. Wigney (RG 150, acc. 1992-93/166). (seen by PMK at
NAC).
MLB Index of Marriage License Bonds (consulted at NLI, Dublin)
NA National Archives, Dublin
NAC National Archives of Canada, Ottawa
Newsclippings from Hamilton, Ontario papers. They were found by Kate's descendant, S. R. Kilburn, at the
Marshall's Bay summer home (purchased in 1900 by James Bell and his wife Kate Meredith, who lived in nearby
Arnprior , where there are a street and a park named after the Bells and where family members are buried in the
Town Cemetery).
Nick Reddan: His web site carries BMD notices from early editions of Irish newspapers.
NLI National Library of Ireland
OMR Ontario Marriage registration
R of D = Registry of Deeds, Dublin
RCB/RCBL: Representative Church Body (Library) in Dublin (archives of the Church of Ireland). Their
library/archives appears to have the best collection of Church of Ireland original BMD as well as many other
documents, although local parishes still hold some BMD and parish minutes. Of course, many records can not be
found at all, having been lost in the Four Courts fire of 1922. PMK visited RCB in 2000 and 2001 and distributed
info on BMD for various Queen’s County parishes (Rosenallis, Clonaslee, Coolbanagher etc.), which has since
been supplemented (and occasionally corrected!) by info gathered from other sources by SH, KW etc. In this
pedigree, all references to RCB as a source are from my records.
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